FFD September-October 2021

September-October 2021 Volume 22 Issue 8 gff.co.uk

NORTH OF ENGLAND SPECIAL

Building up The North This issue is stacked with the region’s retailers, suppliers and latest product launches

INSIDE: FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021 PREVIEW

Introducing two new packs

TIME WELL SPENT At Peter’s Yard, we know good things take time. Our sourdough crackers are made from a 45-year-old sourdough starter, fermented for 16 hours before each batch is baked. Crafted without shortcuts or artificial ingredients for award-winning flavour and crunch.

For more information contact Matt@petersyard.com 2

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

CONTENTS 5

NEWS

I’ve been wrestling with defining The North (of England) for most of this issue’s production cycle.

10 SHOP TALK 17 CHEESEWIRE 25 CHARCUTERIE 26 RETAILER ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION 37 FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH PREVIEW 53 FOODSERVICE 56 REGIONAL PRODUCT FOCUS: THE NORTH 65 SHELF TALK 70 DELI OF THE MONTH 75 GUILD TALK September-October 2021 Volume 22 Issue 8 gff.co.uk

By Michael Lane, editor

Pigeonholing tends to be something that journalists are quite good at, but I have to admit that I’ve been wrestling with defining The North (of England) for most of this issue’s production cycle.

I can’t blame anyone else for this struggle because I made a conscious decision to pick it as a magazine-wide theme. After all, it ties in with our publisher’s trade event Fine Food Show North, for which this issue also acts as a show guide and preview.

The first thing I had to grapple with was whether North should be capitalised at all. I went for it and I’ve even gone for ‘The’ in some instances, too. My only real reference point is the signs on the motorway but it felt like the right kind of billing.

Then there’s the geography to contend with. It seems that even the physical boundaries of The North are open to interpretation

WILL WE SEE YOU IN HARROGATE?

NORTH OF ENGLAND SPECIAL

Tom Dale, assistant editor

Building up The North This issue is stacked with the region’s retailers, suppliers and latest product launches

INSIDE: FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021 PREVIEW Cover image by Mark Windsor and Phil Taylor

As you may have gathered by now, this edition of FFD doubles as a preview for Fine Food Show North.

Following the postponement of many events over the last 18 months, I can’t wait to be back surrounded by the buzz of buyers discovering a new product for their shelves, menus, or even one

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

Assistant editor: Tom Dale

Sales director: Sally Coley

Editor: Michael Lane

Art director: Mark Windsor

Contributors: Nick Baines, Matt Lawrence, Patrick McGuigan, Jules Mercer, Lynda Searby, Phil Taylor

(Yes, I have drawn imaginary lines on a map. No, I’m not showing them to anyone). But we set them anyway and then set about talking to businesses within them – to gain a better picture of the region.

It certainly wasn’t hard to fill any of our regular spots – Deli of the Month, If I’d Known…, Cheesewire, the charcuterie section – with interesting businesses.

And we’ve ended up with an issue that is packed with resourceful producers, vibrant new launches and some exemplary retailers. In that sense, I suppose you could categorise it as a bountiful area (Disclaimer: other regions are available).

Finally, I wanted to see if I could establish more of a conceptual definition. Can you neatly summarise The North’s food scene and draw any distinct differences from the rest of the UK? The answer is ‘kind of’.

advertise@gff.co.uk

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam

Sales executives: Becky Haskett, Sam Coleman ADDRESS Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB United Kingdom

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

they won’t be able to resist adding to their own pantry.

On top of the swathes of exhibitors – over a third of which will be new to the show – I am personally looking forward to the pair of industry talks, discussing the state of the fine food trade and how we can all inject more sustainable practices into our businesses. Not to mention watching four plucky producers pitch their wares to the panel of ‘dragons’.

See you there!

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200

Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd gff.co.uk

editorial@gff.co.uk

© The Guild of Fine Food Ltd

Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset

I certainly gave it a good go via our now annual August round table discussion. Given the theme, it felt appropriate to hold the meeting in Harrogate, a stone’s throw from where the show is held, and to invite retailers from the region (or at least my version of it!).

You could say we achieved my aim to a degree (see for yourself from page 26) but that was only part of the discussion. What we really ended up with was a conversation that spanned a host of topics. And I reckon it will resonate just as much with retailers in Cornwall and the Scottish Highlands as it will with those in Yorkshire or Cumbria.

Ultimately, I’m not sure that defining The North really matters.

But we’ve certainly explored it in this magazine and, wherever you’re from, I hope you’ll be coming to Harrogate for the show and to experience it first-hand.

2021. Reproduction of whole or

part of this magazine without the

publisher’s prior permission is Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inclusive of post and packing.

prohibited. The opinions expressed

in articles and advertisements are

not necessarily those of the editor

Turn to page 75 for news from the Guild

or publisher.

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

3

Voted Best Supplier of Pickles & Chutneys every year since Best Brands* began in 2011

2

100% Green electricity

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

Natural ingredients

NEWS

Sugar tax will hit business but won’t solve health crisis, warn fine food producers

By Greg Pitcher

Fine food producers have warned ministers that a blanket sugar tax could have a major impact on their businesses while failing to tackle health problems.

The Governmentcommissioned National Food Strategy has recommended a £3/kg levy on the sale of sugar for use in processed food as part of a campaign to cut obesity, reduce the burden on the NHS and benefit the environment.

Led by catering businessman Henry Dimbleby, the study said the tax – along with a £6/kg duty on salt – would “encourage producers to reformulate their products”.

“Where products cannot be reformulated, and remain high in sugar and salt, the increased cost might be passed on to the consumer,” said the report. “This would make such products less appealing.”

Emma Macdonald,

The proposed tax would replace the current soft drinks industry levy

founder of Devon-based fine food maker The Bay Tree, said there was “a lot of detail to be ironed out” in how the sugar tax would work in practice.

“What would be defined as processed food?” she asked. “There must be an exemption for foods that require sugar or salt for traditionalism and shelf life.

Jam does not set without sugar, so you are affecting the dynamics of a product if you cut it out.

“And what will be done

Acquisition will ‘supercharge’ The EPoS Bureau’s offer to indies The EPoS Bureau has said its acquisition, by the ClearCourse group, will only serve to improve the company’s offer to existing independent retail customers – as well as allow it to offer services to retailers with a smaller footprint.

Founder Nigel Bogle told FFD that accepting the approach from the London-based group of technology companies was a “no brainer”, given the capabilities it would offer.

He added that he would remain at the helm of the Northern Ireland-based business and it would be continuing to focus on the independent food retail market. It already provides point-of-sale

and back-office systems to some 200 farm shops, delis, cheesemongers and butchers.

Bogle said that joining the group means that the company will be able to keep existing customers “ahead of the curve”, and it would also allow The EPoS Bureau to cater to smaller delis that it wouldn’t have previously had systems for.

“ClearCourse has payment systems, loyalty systems, membership schemes and other products and services that we will be able to offer to our clients,” said Bogle.

“Being part of ClearCourse will supercharge our business.” theeposbureau.com clearcoursellp.com

with the money raised? Will it be spent on educating kids about the importance of the right diet? If we don’t change eating habits, then the tax will not work.”

Ruby Williams, founder of Worcester-based Ruby’s Fudge, said she would be unable to change her recipes without dramatically altering her products, so would have to pass on the cost to retailers.

“I am a very small food producer,” she said.

“Profit margins can be very

tight. I fear that if the tax is implemented, it would make it much less appealing to the consumer, resulting in sales dropping.”

She called for policy aimed at tackling obesity to be precisely targeted.

“I do understand that the nation’s sugar problem needs to be addressed but it needs to be done so in products with hidden sugars.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “What we eat and drink, and how and where it is made is part of our nation’s story.

“It provides employment opportunities, contributes to economies, shapes the landscapes we all value and creates a sense of local pride and identity, right across the UK. “The Government is considering the recommendations made in Henry Dimbleby’s review and will respond with a White Paper within six months, setting out our priorities for food systems.”

In detail: the sugar tax l The Government would introduce a £3/kg tax on sugar sold for use in processed foods or restaurants and catering businesses. l This would replace the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. l The tax would apply to all sugar and other ingredients used for sweetening. l It would not apply to sugar used in home cooking. l Imports of processed food would be taxed according to sugar content when they enter the UK. l The taxes would be introduced through primary legislation in the 2024 Finance Bill. l There would be a three-year period before implementation to facilitate adaptation. l A series of measures would ensure that low-income households received financial support to prioritise healthy eating, including an expansion of free school meals. l The estimated reduction in sugar consumption would bring the UK up to 83 per cent closer to a target level of 30g per person per day, said the report. l This would reduce the average calories eaten per person per day by up to 38kcal, which could halt weight gain at a population level, according to the paper.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

THE IMPACT OF A PROPOSED SUGAR DUTY EMMA MACDONALD FOUNDER, THE BAY TREE

“We can use less sugar in our preserves but it will dramatically alter the product – creating more of a compote than a jam, for example – which will change consumer perception. We could end up with a two-tier market of more expensive products and cheaper alternatives that have a different market.”

RUBY WILLIAMS FOUNDER, RUBY’S FUDGE

“The cost would have to be passed on to the consumer, sadly.

If sales decline, or shops do not want to take on the price hike, then I would have to put more effort into selling direct to the consumer.

I currently supply solely to independent shops, so this could also affect the local economy.”

NATIONAL FOOD STRATEGY Report led by Henry Dimbleby

“A tax on the amount of sugar and salt used in [processed] foods will create a significant incentive for companies to reformulate their products so as to avoid having to put the price up, which would be damaging to their business in the UK’s highly competitive and price-sensitive food market.”

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

5

NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Speciality suppliers working hard to ensure bumper festive orders are fulfilled

By Greg Pitcher

Fine food wholesalers have acted to calm fears that supply chain staff shortages could ruin the critical Christmas trading period for independent retailers.

Leading suppliers insisted they were able to handle the bumper deliveries required to stock up shops ahead of a huge festive season, despite a national recruitment crisis involving lorry drivers and production workers.

Bosses at supermarket giants Tesco and Iceland have warned of possible empty shelves this December as the food supply chain grapples with a massive shortage of key workers.

The recruitment crisis has largely been attributed to migrants returning home during COVID-19 lockdowns and being unable to return because of changes to visa rules post-Brexit.

Organisations including the Federation of Wholesale

Supermarkets have warned of possible empty shelves at Christmas

Distributors, the Food and Drink Federation and the National Farmers’ Union in August urged ministers to create a new 12-month visa to help tackle the shortage.

Paul Hargreaves, chief executive of Berkshirebased fine food wholesaler Cotswold Fayre, told FFD “everyone is worried” about supply chain shortages.

“Goods that go out on the pallet network are running late,” he said. “The potential issue is goods coming into our warehouse,

‘Christmas is at risk’ warning A key figure in the food sector has described staff shortages as “extremely serious” and warned that “Christmas is at risk”.

“Without government action, it is going to get worse,” said James Withers, chief executive of industry body Scotland Food and Drink, on social media in August. “Food supply chains are at breaking point.”

Withers told FFD the impact of Brexit and the pandemic on staffing levels would “be felt across all food retail”, adding that independents faced reduced choice “particularly across red meat, seafood and bakery – key sectors for a successful Christmas trading period”.

He urged retailers to maintain strong communication with 6

customers and suppliers.

“We’ve heard of suppliers going over and above to deliver direct to store,” he said. “That may be critically important if haulage firms prioritise the big accounts.

“A lot of Scottish artisan producers are based in the highlands and islands and at the end of a courier run so will appreciate getting advance notice of what stock is needed.”

Withers called for measures including a temporary visa to allow more overseas staff into the country to tackle the staffing crisis.

Food and Drink Federation Scotland wrote a letter to home secretary Priti Patel in August calling for an easing of migration rules.

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

which is starting to have an impact on our fulfilment levels. If something is three days late coming in then it obviously has a knock-on effect.

“We are working hard on this most days and it is a headache,” he added. “The drivers on our contracts have been given a pay rise.

There is massive pressure and it is not going away before Christmas.

“All our customers want goods in early. September is looking huge, bigger than

October. But we should be OK as long as the problem doesn’t get worse.”

Nick Carlucci, sales director at Tenuta Marmorelle, said the importer had worked hard to bring a large volume of Christmas produce over from Italy before the country’s traditional August shutdown. “We took the same approach that we took with Brexit – getting stock in early,” he said. “We have a lot of customers who want Christmas products in quite late this year, early November, after Hallowe’en, as any occasion is a big occasion since lockdown.

But we have it in the warehouse already.”

The firm has purchased its own delivery vehicle and is looking to add to its fleet.

“We are very confident of fulfilling our orders in the run-up to Christmas. I would just urge retailers to get their orders in early and speak to their suppliers – keep them in the loop.”

IN BRIEF New research Walter Smith has Fine revealed 69% of Foods hasthat announced consumers the closure believe of supermarkets three stores inare the responsible forbutcher Midlands. The reducing plastic chain revealed usage.

Additionally, over Christmas that 65% don’tVillage, think there its Denby are enough plastic-free West Bromwich and options offer would for Coventryonshops the buyit stopproducts trading, they leaving despite 86% trying to with 11 outlets – many avoid plastic. of which are within garden centres.

Glebe Farm, producer of PureOaty oat Tracklements has milk its hiredhas Benwon Hallam infringement for the role ofcase against plantmanager, milk commercial giant A judge whichOatly. includes last month dismissed identifying new market all claims of trademark opportunities.

Hallam infringement and joins the Wiltshirepassing off. based condiment specialist after 11 years at dairy firm Yeo Valley.

Glasgow-based wholesaler Greencity Wholefoods has Health food retailer started delivering to Planet Organic has retailers on an moved into theelectrichot powered tricycle in a food delivery market bid reduceup diesel andto teamed with pollution the city. high-end in service

First product registered under new UK GI scheme Last month, the first new food product to receive protected status under the UK’s new GI scheme, following the end of the Brexit transition period with the EU, was announced.

Gower Salt Marsh Lamb joined Stilton cheese and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, among others, in receiving protected Geographical Indication (GI) status.

The new, independent GI schemes were launched after the end of the transition period and are designed to ensure that popular and traditional products from across the country can obtain special status to mark out their authenticity and origin.

With the registration complete, the meat produced from lambs born and reared on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales has gained full protection and recognition as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

The protection has been given as Gower

Salt Marsh Lamb producers were able to demonstrate that the meat’s characteristics are “essentially and exclusively due to its particular area of production”. l For more information about both the UK and EU schemes, turn to page 12.

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A FREE LUNCH Your dedicated Customer Account Manager is back on the road, and ready to visit you and sample our finest foods once again. Just tell us when and where, and we’ll make it a date.

First in fine for 30 years: fine cheese, fine charcuterie, fine crackers, fine condiments, fine chocolates...

2

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

Brand New Web Shop For Organic Change-Makers

At Organico we love good organic food and sustainable values. of the very best organic change-makers who transform the ingredients they grow into the products we eat

2

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

www.organicorealfoods.com

NEWS

Springvale Foods targets more acquisitions after buying Hider’s wholesale operation

By Michael Lane

Suffolk-based Springvale Foods has said that its recent acquisition of Hider Food’s wholesale operation will not be its last as it targets further growth in the independent sector.

The deal, announced in August, has seen Springvale integrate Hider’s catalogue of brands into its own, as well as taking on its existing wholesale customer base.

“This won’t be our last acquisition,” Springvale MD Darran Goody told FFD. “We want to continue, having done three and been successful with two.”

Springvale also recently acquired Mercia Foods and Moordale Foods’ third party wholesale division.

“It was very much part of our strategy in the next three years to do another one,” said Goody, adding that the business was “always looking” for the next opportunity to grow.

Tributes paid to Steve Croot Tributes have been paid to a popular Derbyshire farm shop owner following his sudden death last month.

Steve Croot, cofounder of Croots Farm Shop with his wife Kay, died at home on Sunday 15th August after being taken ill.

In a statement, the family said: “Family, friends and the whole team at Croots Farm Shop are devastated by the loss of Steve, who was known for his passion for local produce, his support for the community and his dedication to helping charities. In accordance with family wishes, Croots Farm Shop remains open as normal.”

Croot is survived by his wife, Kay and their children, Nicole and Jamie.

Springvale Foods MD Darran Goody, left, shakes on the deal to purchase Hider’s wholesale business with Duncan Hider

While Springvale already delivers nationwide to some 2,500 independent retailers and carries around 4,000 lines, Goody said that purchasing Hider does raise the profile of the business.

“I remember being out repping on the road 10 years ago and Hider was a pain for me, they were the number one wholesaler. I think this has given us credibility – I know they haven’t been doing so well recently – and it’s an opportunity for us to

increase our presence in the fine food market.”

Hull-based Hider will continue to run its dried fruit & nut import operation and produce the Butler’s Grove range – which includes preserves, chutneys and pâtés – that it acquired in 2018. These ranges will be available to independent retailers through Springvale, which has already received plenty of enquiries for the dried goods.

DOWN ON THE FARM Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust (TCCT) has extended Occombe Farm Shop to three times its former size, creating a larger space to showcase West Country produce.

The shop stocks 6,000 lines, including fresh and wholefoods, wines, spirits, beers, ciders, baked goods, deli items and gifts, as well as incorporating refillables, recycling and minimising plastics.

The remodelling of Occombe Farm Shop is part of TCCT’s scheme to regenerate the farm as an all-weather, year-round attraction. Shopping local at Occombe Farm Shop supports TCCT’s upkeep of Torbay’s natural heritage. countryside-trust.org.uk/ explore/occombe-farm

Goody told FFD that the deal will mean that existing wholesale customers have an even wider selection of brands to choose from – with Springvale seeking to secure more exclusive lines – while new customers can expect next-day delivery and 97% fulfilment.

“We’re not the cheapest in the industry, we realise that, but if we can fulfil your order to 97%, we can guarantee you 20% extra revenue from having fully stocked shelves,” said Goody.

Hider’s wholesale operation had endured a tough couple of years in the run-up to its sale, which included a major setback in implementing a new IT system that caused cashflow and fulfilment issues, as well as the impacts of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. springvalefoods.co.uk hiderfoods.com

Walter Fine The ACS Smith (the Association of Foods has anConvenience Stores) nounced the clohas launched a free sure guide of forthree retailersstores that offers practical in the Midlands. advice on how The butchertochain maintain wellbeing for revealed themselves over and their Christmas that colleagues. acs.org.uk its Denby Village, West Bromwich and Coventry Waitrose has announced its largest shops would stop launch of vegan and trading, leaving vegetarian products it with 11 outlets to date under its new Plantlife – manyand of GoVeggie which labels. The launch are within garden features 36 new meatcentres. free products, 24 of which are vegan. has Tracklements waitrose.com hired Ben Hallam for the role of commercial manager, UK Net Zero Business Champion Andrew which includes Griffith MP has called identifying new to for retail businesses market opporcome forward to be netzero champions as part tunities.

Hallam of the Together For Our joins the WiltshirePlanet Business Climate based condiment Leaders campaign.

The latest from farm shops across the country the Somerset Levels, so the idea of the shop was born.”

With exception of a few products, everything in the shop is produced within eight miles of the farm. uptonbridgefarm.com

A new farm shop on the Somerset Levels recently opened its doors.

Charlie Walford, one of the founders of the new Upton Bridge Farm, said: “I started selling my beef online to the public and was asked by a few customers if I could supply more products. I then started thinking that there’s nowhere local that I felt provided a good selection of products from

IN BRIEF

Farm shop owner, Algy Garrod, has created a pop-up campsite at Old Hall Farm – comprising 20 teepees – following the rising demand for staycations.

New regulations allowing farmers in England to operate a campsite without planning

permission for up to 56 days were extended to the end of this year in an attempt to bolster farmers’ income and encourage domestic holidays. algys.co.uk Young wallabies can be found roaming among the black swans at the newly opened The Barn at Grange Farm, in Wigan.

After construction work was delayed due to the pandemic, The Barn is finally open over two floors of a converted barn. facebook.com/ grangefarmlowton

In association with

Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

9

SHOP TALK IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

PARUL CHAUHAN, social media & PR manager, Lily’s Deli, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester Opening a deli had been part of our long-term plan for years, but when our restaurant, Lily’s Vegetarian Cuisine in Ashton-under-Lyne, was forced to close for three months last year, it made sense to diversify.

The restaurant attracts people from all over Manchester and we have supplied the Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton for years, so when premises came up there, everything fell into place.

We’re a family business and my nephews are both directors. My mum, who is known as Lily, and dad started the business as an Indian sweet shop in 1972. The family later opened a cash & carry, which was expanded to include the restaurant 13 years ago.

When we opened the deli in November 2020, my nephews arranged the planning and construction work – that was more challenging and costly than we had anticipated. We also put in a seating area that we then couldn’t use immediately because of COVID, so we had to adapt to operating as a deli with take-outs.

All our food is made fresh in our restaurant kitchen every morning and brought over to Chorlton. We offer a broad variety of authentic vegan and vegetarian Indian food, some still made according to mum’s original recipes.

When we were growing up vegan food wasn’t heard of, now we have benefitted from its rise to popularity simply by giving people the opportunity to try the food we were raised on.

People can buy vegan paneer curry or daal with chapatis to take home and heat up. Now we can offer eat-in again, we have a few tables for people to sit down with a cup of masala tea and a couple of our street chaats. We also sell a range of vegan cashew and pistachio sweets.

In addition to all the specialities we cook in-house, we sell a large selection of ambient groceries, such as spices, lentils, flour and rice.

This has been a bit of a learning curve. As my brother used to run the cash & carry, we tasked him with sourcing the groceries. I think he got a bit carried away because we ended up with far too many different versions of the same item.

We had five or six chilli powders alone. We have since trimmed down our range so people still have a choice but it is much easier to manage.

The deli has been open less than 12 months but already we are planning our next opening: Lily’s Deli in Ancoats, next to Manchester’s Northern Quarter, towards the end of the year. We have also been shortlisted for the Manchester Food & Drink Awards, so these are exciting times.

Interview Lynda Searby Photography Matt Lawrence

10

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

NORTH OF ENGLAND SPECIAL

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER ARE YOU HIRING? I am.

Summer has been good, we are “hot, hot, hot” even if the weather’s not. And we’ve not had problems with deliveries or lorry drivers. The goods are coming and the goods are going out on a very pleasant merry-go-round. It’s been a little more difficult on the staffing front, though, despite permanently displaying a ‘We’re Hiring’ sign in the window.

My team is small compared to most, with over half of the them part-time and under 20.

I learnt long ago that the right 16-year-old becomes the right 17-year-old, then the right gap year student and the right university holiday returnee.

So, I put a lot of effort in to weeding the wheat from the chaff within those 16-year-olds.

I feel pretty guilty about damning a child in Year 11. They haven’t even taken their GCSEs, and some shop in the high street has fired them and marked their card with “untrainable”, “wrong attitude”, or quite often “can’t (or won’t) clean a toilet properly”. But get that bit of recruitment right and it’s potentially five or even six years of ever-improving dilligence.

MODEL RETAILING Argh! I said I wanted ice with my drink.

A former manager of mine taught me to fire ASAP. She had no time for those who “can’t” or “won’t”.

A former manager of mine taught me to fire ASAP. She had no time for those who “can’t” or “won’t”. She was right. The team adopts the morale of its least enthusiastic member. Just make sure you dress those early weeks up as a “trial period”, so you can exit them swiftly.

This summer I have really needed good people, and they are in short supply. I’m guessing most people reading this have been through the full gamut of staffing issues over the last 18

months: too many (hello furlough!), too few, or just constantly getting pinged.

For me, it’s been three solid months of too few – especially in the kitchen. I had a waitress who just got into Cambridge helping with 110+ covers a day. She didn’t know how to cook in May but she’ll leave ready to wow her new housemates with brownies and top notch toasties. Sadly, she proved to be a rare find.

Maybe it’s Brexit, maybe it’s the NHS app, maybe it’s just enough people sticking with home-working to slow down the recruitment market. And I can’t just hire any old fool. The team is working bloody hard and I don’t want some slacker upsetting the balance.

Is it time to put the pay up? My biggest bugbear is keeping my wage-bill-to-revenue ratio right. Over all the years I’ve traded, that is the one thing that can get most out of kilter during the year. Putting wages up for a newbie means they go up for all. That is a sobering thought. Still, I can’t go on operating like this or I’ll lose the staff I have to Costa. And Christmas is coming.

I’m going to need to open my wallet and let the moths out.

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE. Hi there. I’m having trouble deciding on a wine.

Hi. I’m afraid this coffee is cold.

Shall I just stick it in the microwave for you?

Well, I’m sweeping the floor right now.

So…

FFD says: COVID-19, Brexit, staff shortages. 2021 has been tough but none of these are a legitimate excuse for poor customer service. Yes, things do go wrong and the aforementioned reasons are to blame for some hitches but – whether it’s in the café or the deli – you’ve got to do the basics right. It’s what sets independents apart from the multiples and customers expect it. Speak to customers, listen to what they want and do your utmost to give it to them. It’s not rocket science but it is your lifeblood.

editorial@gff.co.uk

With kind permission of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, Germany. PLAYMOBIL is a registered trademark of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, for which also the displayed PLAYMOBIL toy figures are protected.

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

11

SHOP TALK

CODE OF PRACTICE

WHAT’S TRENDING NICK BAINES KEEPS YOU UP-TO-DATE WITH THE NEWEST DISHES, FLAVOURS AND INNOVATIONS IN FOOD & DRINK

Technical and regulatory advice from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing This month we take a look at... ...protected food names

In 1993 EU legislation came into force that provides a system for the protection of food names on a geographical or traditional recipe basis. The scheme highlights regional and traditional foods whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed. Under this system, a named food or drink registered at a European level will be given legal protection against imitation throughout the EU. Retailers must ensure that the correct logos and/or the words Protected Geographical Indication/Protected Designation of Origin, as appropriate, are

Retailers must ensure that the correct logos are indicated on labelling

Retailer’s view FRESH FROM HIS TALK AT SPECIALITY & FINE FOOD FAIR, MACKNADE’S MD STEFANO CUOMO DISCUSSES CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM There’s a growing desire to live better, and sustainability sits within that. There’s been a recognition that, as humans, our consumption isn’t a suitable long-term situation for the planet. Businesses have an opportunity to help, not just by saying what is and isn’t sustainable but by creating a forum where people can learn and ask questions.

Don’t forget that ‘conscious consumerism’ isn’t just about environmental impacts but also the positive effect businesses can have socially and economically.

It’s not about having all the answers, it’s having the courage to say ‘This is the direction we want to go’ and being clear about that. We recognise that we’ll make mistakes. And, as new information comes into the market you might

indicated on product labelling.

Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the UK GI schemes were launched on 1st January 2021 and existing UK EU-registered GI products continued to be legally protected domestically under these schemes.

If you are a producer or retailer of an agri-food GI produced in England, Scotland or Wales and registered before the end of the transition period, you will have until 1 January 2024 to adopt the relevant UK logo (above) on any product packaging or marketing materials. For GIs originating in Northern Ireland, it will be optional to use the new UK GI logos and mandatory to continue using the EU logos when the product is on sale in Northern Ireland.

More information can be found here: gov. uk/guidance/protecting-food-anddrink-names-from-1-january-2021

The guide is available in PDF format and is free for Guild members. For non-members, it costs £250+VAT. To request a copy of the Code of Practice, or for further information, email support@gff.co.uk

find out you’ve been doing some things wrong.

When it comes to making positive changes, independents shouldn’t be discouraged when comparing themselves to the bigger retailers. My advice is to communicate more effectively about what you’re already doing. Often, we’re not great at that. There’s a lot already being done, and small businesses are sometimes embarrassed to put themselves out there and shine a light on what they’re doing.

Let’s recognise the brilliant work that’s already been done by SMEs. Some of the stuff you might even take for granted as normal operating practices – working with smaller producers, asking questions around product messages – are actually sustainable measures.

We sometimes can’t work on price or speed, but we can work with people who want a particular way of living. The SME sector has never been more valuable and more recognised and there’s probably never been as much engagement with customers as there is now.

Find out what they want and how you can work towards providing it.

It’s not about having all the answers. We recognise that we’ll make mistakes.

12

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

Stefano Cuomo discussed this topic on the Food for Thought stage at Speciality & Fine Food Fair. The Fair returns to Olympia London on 5th-6th September 2022.

1

2

3

1 Basque burnt cheesecake This quintessential pintxo is currently gracing some of London’s most talked-about menus. BRAT, the Shoreditch restaurant renowned for its strong Basque influences has been knocking out an enviable burnt cheesecake served with roasted seasonal fruit. Meanwhile, Borough Market’s Elliot’s has been torching cheesecake to Instagram acclaim. Street vendor Meringue Girls is also serving the crustless baked dessert, that marries subtle bitterness with sweetness.

2 Hot wings The latest finger food upsurge is hot chicken wings. The classic Buffalo wing from upstate New York is spearheading the trend – complete with vinegar-based hot sauces and blue cheese dip. A stellar example can be found at Sticky Wings on Brick Lane, while Brixton’s Nanban has taken the hot wing in a Japanese direction, with a dressing of Scotch Bonnet and ponzu butter.

Fast-casual powerhouse Wing Shack also continues its expansion. Plant-based fried chicken impersonators Temple of Seitan are getting in on it too, serving up vegan wings.

3 Punk wine Shrine To The Vine – from the people behind oenophile icon Noble Rot – is the latest bottle shop specialising in wine. Its somewhat-punk aesthetic demonstrates just how far wine presentation has come in the past couple of years. From canned and boxed wine taking a fresh new approach, to the cult following of orange and natural wines, it appears wine could be breaking free of its ‘old guard’ shackles – engaging a whole new audience in the process. Urban wineries in London like Blackbook and Renegade have taken a striking new approach to branding, while Australia’s Some Young Punks continues to challenge industry convention.

THE GLUT EN - FREE

CHICK PE AS

-

SOY BE AN S

GUIDE TO KN OWIN G THE DIFFEREN CE

-

GE L ATO

PL ANTAIN

SWE ET POTATO

-

YAM

ROTI

-

TORTILL A

Gelato has more flavour and a silkier mouthfeel.

This is because the thicker texture and colder serving temperature of ice cream delays the onset of the initial taste. Despite this, both will be wolfed down at similar speeds, leaving them cone but not forgotten.

Sweet potato flesh is orange, and sweet in taste, while yams have a whiter flesh and earthy flavour.

Americans have caused confusion here by referring to sweet potatoes as yams. Fortunately, this is the only known instance of Americans taking liberties with the English language.

Grab the wrong unleavened bread and you’ll have a wrap on the knuckles. In India, rotis are immensely popular and are frequently offered to guests. In Mexico, tortillas were first made with wheat following the Spanish conquest. So while one is a courtesy, the other is a Cortés-y.

CUCU MBE R

PRU NES

MILLE R’ S

-

ZUCCHINI

Cucumber might be cool, but zucchini is a major flex on the Scrabbleboard. For help with getting high scores, whizz together a dazzling mezze by drizzling a zesty cucumber tzatziki over a midsize zucchini.

Now that’s playing with pizzazz. Huzzah.

-

DATES

How do you get a prune? Simply allow a plum to dry out. How do you get a date? That’s much, much trickier. Dates can be found amongst the fronds of date palms, but you generally shouldn’t try for a date once you’re in the frond zone.

Find your favourite gluten-free selection from the rest of our Miller’s range: Miller’s Grate Britain Cheddar Crackers, The Best of Miller’s Selection Box, Miller’s Cranberry & Raisin Toast, Miller’s Damsel Charcoal, Elegant & English Raspberries & Dark Chocolate and The Fine Cookie Co. Chocolate Box Brownie, Salt Lake Caramel and Rainbow Nation (pictured above).

2

-

What do you get hanging from banana trees?

Besides sore arms that is. Both plantains and bananas grow on the same type of tree, so to avoid slipping up, remember that plantains are large, starchy, and require cooking, but bananas don’t and are small and sweet.

A fact that makes them much more appealing.

These versatile legumes are the core ingredients of a number of beloved foods, including hummus and tofu.

Just don’t mix the two up while making classic Middle Eastern cuisine. A mistake like that is liable to make you falafel.

ICE CRE AM

BANANA

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

-

GLU TEN-FR EE MILLER’ S

When it comes to the Miller’s cookies, crackers and toasts, there’s no detectable difference between the original and gluten-free varieties whatsoever.

GLUT EN - FREE

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Food & Drink Wales

Come to Wales and taste the passion There will be a host of food & drink producers at the forthcoming Welsh Government event, so buyers should start making their plans for visiting Newport this October LIKE MOST OF what Wales does well, its food and drink is rooted in its communities, shaped by its landscape, and honed by its culture and language. The warmth of Welsh people shines through in the quality of what is produced, so it makes sense that buyers would want to visit the source itself.

The TasteWales/BlasCymru 2021 event, which will take place on 27th-28th October at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, provides exactly that opportunity.

It will connect retailers, wholesalers and foodservice buyers with a large number of food & drink suppliers over the course of two days packed with face-to-face meetings, product demonstrations, tastings, products showcases, a full conference agenda and the opportunity to network with the industry.

There will be some 200 new products being launched at the event, with over 100 producers taking part. Regardless of your buying needs, a wide range of lines – from speciality items for niche markets to highvolume items – will be on show.

Buying options to fit all of the major trends in food & drink will be showcased, including plant-based meals and solutions, products with artisan and provenance appeal, and a wide range of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, as well as some innovative functional foods and drinks.

A Rising Stars Market Place area at BlasCymru 2021 will host a variety of new and up-and-coming producers, for those buyers looking for suppliers at the smaller end of the spectrum.

Welsh Government Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths said: “The event presents an excellent opportunity to showcase the very best of Wales and it is fantastic that more than 200 new products will be launched over the two days which is great news as the industry continues its recovery from the impact of COVID-19.

“Sustainability will, of course, be central at the event as we build on our strategic vision to become a world leader in the area.”

The Welsh Government earlier this year launched its future strategic mission for the industry for the next decade. It is hoped that the so-called ‘green shoots’ vision will allow Wales to create one of the most environmentally and socially responsible supply chains in the world – without compromising its global reputation for excellence.

For more information please contact Ellie Lewis email: ellie.lewis@tastewales.com or telephone 01691 839398 FoodDrinkWales Food_Drink_Wales @FoodDrinkWales

FIND THESE PRODUCERS (AND MORE) AT TASTEWALES/BLASCYMRU 2021 Caws Cenarth Cheese Among the cheeses at Caws Cenarth’s revered dairy is Perl Las – a creamy, gently salty blue. cawscenarth.co.uk

Jones Trust Your Gut Handcrafted slaw, krauts and apple cider vinegar. Organic, vibrant and healthy. jonestrustyourgut.co.uk

14

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

Old Coach House Distillery Alcohol-free, hand crafted and small batch copper pot distilled botanical drinks. oldcoachhousedistillery.co.uk

Dà Mhìle This distillery’s range includes a savoury Organic Seaweed Gin designed to complement seafood. damhile.co.uk

Capital Cuisine/Bodlon Bespoke traditionally produced dressings, sauces and chutneys, traybakes and cakes capitalcuisine.co.uk

Do Goodly Dips A range of great tasting, healthy and plant powered dips. dogoodlydips.com

meet a nation of food and drink innovators Meet the Supplier | Product Showcase | Rising Star Marketplace Beer, cider and mead

Cheese/dairy

Charcuterie & deli

Confectionery

200 Food to go

Grocery

Meal solutions

Meet the Supplier – time efficient

Snacks

Soft drinks & water

Special diet

Product Showcase

Seafood

Spirits Low & no alcohol drinks

Wine

Oils, preserves & condiments

World foods

Designed for professional buyers

Meat and poultry

Plant based

Desserts

International Convention Centre Wales Celtic Manor Resort, Newport 27-28 October 2021 14

NEW Product Launches

Frozen

Bakery

For more information – please contact Ellie Lewis e: ellie.lewis@tastewales.com t: +44 (0)1691 839938

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

EOM 0129 MaB TasteWales Fine Food Digest A4 Ad (2).indd 1

09/08/2021 17:06

A very hard 18-month farmhouse cheese which has a distinct nuttiness in flavour and made with vegetarian rennet.

www.lyburnfarm.co.uk 01794 399982

ZERO CARBS, 100% CHEDDAR, 100% DELICIOUS Authentic recipe Barber’s cheddar popped in a high tech oven creating a perfect snack to enjoy on its own or with a drink. Also an excellent addition to a salad, or Keto treat.

www.barbers.co.uk 16

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

Further Brexit import rules likely to cause Continental price rise

By Patrick McGuigan

British cheesemongers are braced for the price of Continental cheese to rise, deilvery delays and shortages when new Brexit import rules eventually come into place in 2022.

As FFD went to press, the Government deferred these measures for a second time.

EU cheeses were due to be subject to new import requirements and documents, including health certificates, from 1st October but these will now not be required until January 2022. Physical checks at specified Border Control Points were also set to begin on 1st January but this has now been moved to July 2022.

British cheeses sent to the EU have been subject to similar requirements since January, resulting in a 34% drop in exports in the first half of this year, compared to 2019.

Now British cheesemongers are predicting the new controls will disrupt imports of cheese from Europe in the same way.

“The future of EU cheese, especially from small artisan producers, is going to be very difficult and the days of showcasing rare finds is in the balance,” said Patricia Michelson, owner of La Fromagerie. “The sheer weight of paperwork and bureaucracy will scare all the small scale producers from working with us and even if we handle all the paperwork it will be very

La Fromagerie’s Patricia Michelson said bureaucracy will add cost and dissuade artisans from exporting

difficult with the pricing.”

Michelson said that prices are likely to rise, thanks to increased costs for vet inspections that cheesemakers on the Continent won’t pay for.

She added “There is no way out of this unless the exchange rates are so good we can keep them from increasing, although transport charges will also increase and paperwork handling charges, too.”

At Brindisa, cheese buyer José Bueno Marin said there could be delays of between one and two weeks to cheese consignments from Spain when the new measures come into force.

“We are also expecting some price rises,” he said. “Some certifications require an annual fee that in some cases will be translated in a price increase.”

Tom Chatfield, CEO of European Fine Cheese, which imports cheese from Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, said the cost of moving goods had doubled in the past year due to Brexit.

“The new measures are likely to mean we will have to increase minimum orders or pass on extra costs to customers. These rules hurt smaller cheesemakers the most because they don’t have the capacity to deal with the bureaucracy.”

NEWS IN BRIEF A new cheesemaker on the Isle of Wight, Brixton & Badger, has launched its cheddar curds in delis and restaurants on the island. The company is owned by Emily Macdonald, a native of the US state of Wisconsin where cheese curds are hugely popular.

Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company is now offering VIP experiences at its Somerset dairy, which will see visitors take part in the production process, tours and tastings.

Devon-based Sharpham Wine & Cheese is celebrating its 40th anniversary in September with a three-course meal, plus cheese and wine tasting, at the Sharpham Estate, where Maurice Ash first set up the business in 1981.

A new book written by cheesemonger Svetlana Kukharchuk reveals the secrets of how to understand and appreciate fine cheese. The Cheese Connoisseur’s Handbook (Rethink Press, £12.99) explains how to buy, store, taste and serve cheese, as well as detailing how cheese is made, its history and nutritional value.

“I wanted to share everything I know about cheese and how it fits into a healthy lifestyle,” said Kukharchuk, who owns The Cheese Lady shop in Haddington, Scotland. thecheeselady.co.uk

THREE WAYS WITH...

Ogleshield Very different from its famous cheddar, Montgomery’s washed rind, raclettestyle cheese, which is made with rich Jersey milk at Manor Farm in Somerset, is a favourite of chefs thanks to its funky flavour and elastic melting properties.

Pastrami Steve Parker’s extremely useful book British Cheese on Toast features more than 100 recipes involving melted cheese and bread. His suggestion for Ogleshield mixes Somerset and New York in a deli-style combination of pastrami, gherkins and mustard on spelt bread with plenty of Ogleshield melted on top. The salty, savoury beef emphasises the meaty notes from the cheese’s pinkish rind.

Kimchi The brothy rind of Ogleshield is balanced by a mellow, milky core, which works as a foil for spicy, piquant flavours.

A few spoonfuls of kimchi added to an Ogleshield toastie is the secret to a happy lunch, while vaunted steak restaurant Hawksmoor has topped its burgers with the melted cheese and kimchi, and has even served shortrib and Ogleshield nuggets with kimchi ketchup. The crunch from the Korean condiment contrasts nicely with the pliable cheese.

Beer Washed rind cheeses and Belgian beers are firm friends, and this is particularly true of Gouden Carolus with Ogleshield. The 8.5% ale from Anker brewery has a ruby brown hue and is full of dark fruit and caramel flavours, which accentuate the fruitiness that often comes from the rind of the cheese. A rich, comforting combo for autumn.

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

17

CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

Greek pressure forces Shepherds Purse to rename Yorkshire Fettle

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE Jean-Marc Delys, Fauvette, Penarth

By Patrick McGuigan

Shepherds Purse will have to rename its Yorkshire Fettle cheese for the second time following demands from Greek cheesemakers, who argue its name breaches the PDO for Feta.

First made in 1987 as Yorkshire Feta, the crumbly, sheep’s milk cheese was renamed Yorkshire Fettle in 2008 when Feta won PDO status.

However, the Federation of Greek Dairy Products Industries believes Fettle is still too similar to the name Feta and has demanded that Shepherds Purse stop using it.

The Yorkshire cheesemaker disagrees, but does not have the resources for a legal fight, so will, once again, rename the product. A new name had not yet been chosen as FFD went to press.

“It’s devastating to see our well-loved product go through this process once more after we believed it was resolved back in 2008,” said co-owner

CHEESE IN PROFILE with Cuddy’s Cave What’s the story?

Cuddy’s Cave is an unpasteurised cheese made on a family farm in the Glendale Valley in Northumberland.

The home of the Maxwell family since the 1950s, North Doddington Farm produces both cheese and ice cream. Cheesemaker Margaret-Ann (Maggie) uses milk from the farm’s closed herd of cows, which are 18

Shepherds Purse co-owners Katie Matten and Caroline Bell will have to rename their sheep’s milk cheese

Caroline Bell. “Whilst we agree whole heartedly with the spirit of PDO legislation, we don’t believe that our name breaches it. But we sit as a fringe case and sadly, as a small independent family business, our resources to fight it are limited, particularly after this exceptionally difficult period due to the pandemic.”

Bell’s sister and co-owner Katie Matten said the enforced a mix of Friesians, Holsteins, Ayrshires and Montbeliardes.

The cows graze in one of the least inhabited places in the UK and are milked twice a day. Their diet consists largely of grazed grass in the summer and homegrown silage, fodder beet and cereals in the winter, which gives an intense and seasonal flavour to the cheeses.

Cuddy’s Cave is named after a local landmark in which St Cuthbert’s body was said to have been

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

change was “a blow” after investing heavily in new equipment and new packaging during the pandemic to help support sheep milk farmers.

“It’s an exceptional product made from quality British sheep’s milk and we have over 30 years’ experience in making it,” she said. “We will move forward positively despite this recent challenge.” shepherdspurse.co.uk

Originally from the Loire valley, where vineyards are part of the landscape, Jean-Marc Delys knows his grapes.

So it’s no surprise wine is a focus at the cheese shop he runs with Philippa Friedman.

The range is tight, with around 20 bottles, though Fauvette also offers a popular refill option with reusable 500ml and 750ml bottles. Price points range from £10-£28.

“We focus on low-intervention wines because they fit the same ethos of the cheese, supporting family businesses who use good ingredients,” he says. “We go for lighter and medium wines because they work better with cheese.”

Cross-selling comes from chatting with customers, but also through cheese and wine evenings and the shop’s wine bar, where cheeses are matched with specific wines.

“We also do a discounted cheese of the week on the blackboard with a recommend matching wine,” says Delys. fauvette.co.uk

of the summer milk can make it creamy and buttery.

Variations: There is an oak-smoked version

hidden to protect it from the Vikings.

How is it made?

The raw milk is set with a traditional animal rennet, cut into butter bean-sized pieces and the curd is acidified in the mould. It is made in 3.5kg wheels. The cheeses are pressed for 24 hours and brined, before being matured for up to six months, during which time a natural rind forms.

Appearance & texture: Cuddy’s Cave has a pale cream colour. It is close textured and, although mellow, it is a full flavoured cheese with a lingering and complex aftertaste with notes of citrus. The high fat content

Cheesemonger tip: The maker recommends simply serving the cheese with plain water biscuits and some salted butter but you could upsell with a bottle of crisp, fruity Riesling.

Chef’s recommendation: Aside from the cheeseboard, Cuddy’s Cave it is perfect for cooking with, as the cheese melts beautifully, so try it in a leek and ham hock gratin.

There are a number of ways you can study Level 1 & 2 Academy of Cheese courses: online as self-study eLearning, interactive virtual classes or traditional classes at a venue. Visit academyofcheese.org to find out more.

WHILE SOME LIE ON THE BEACH,

OTHERS MELLOW IN THE MEADOW. GRUYERE.COM

16

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

LookiNG For LoyAL CuSToMErS? The unique taste of my cheese will transport your customers to beautiful swiss landscapes with fresh grass and crystal water. an experience that they will want to relive again and again.

More than 150 years of family-expertise in cheese-production: affineur Walo has received more awards than switzerland has mountains.

Meet us at: FiNE FooD SHow NorTH, HArroGATE 17th / 18th october 2021 FArM SHop & DELi SHow, BirMiNGHAM 25th / 26th April 2022

Exclusively distributed in UK by

FroM aMaTEUr To ChEEsE WorLD ChaMpion

The Fine Cheese Co. • BATH ENGLAND www.finecheese.co.uk 01225 424212

Walo von Mühlenen LTD • walo@affineurwalo.ch +41 79 217 54 11 20

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

NORTH OF ENGLAND

COVID has driven the business in the right direction much faster than otherwise

SPECIAL

Robert Gosling

Daring to be different The pandemic has forced the country’s smallest Stilton producer, Hartington Creamery, into a major re-think – and it’s paying dividends.

Interview by Patrick McGuigan

COVID HAS NOT been kind to Stiltonmakers. Sales of the blue cheese fell 16% last year as the pandemic took its toll, according to the Stilton Cheese Makers Association.

The crisis was particularly hard on smaller producers supplying restaurants. And there are none smaller than the Hartington Creamery at Pikehall Farm in the Derbyshire Dales, which only makes 60 tonnes of the PDO-protected cheese a year. The company was thrown into turmoil when it lost 80% of its sales overnight, but what could have led to disaster, turned out to be just what the business needed, says owner and farmer Robert Gosling.

“COVID is the best thing that’s happened to us,” he says. “We’ve had some pain and lost money, but it’s driven the business in the right direction much faster than otherwise. We’ve learned to dare to be different.”

The company previously supplied Stilton to just a handful of foodservice wholesalers, but was forced to focus on independent retail and online direct-to-consumer sales last year. It also put greater emphasis on its other cheeses – the soft PDO blue Dovedale, Shropshire Blue and crumbly Peakland Blue and White – while launching new blended cheeses in flavours such as caramelised chutney and chilli. At the same time, it developed bespoke blues for Chatsworth Farm Shop and Bayley & Sage. “Our turnover is higher now,” says Gosling.

The company was founded in 1870 and first made Stilton in 1900. In 2008, Hartington was one of the largest Stilton

producers in the country, employing 180 people, but was sold by then owner Dairy Crest to rival Long Clawson, which promptly closed the factory and relocated production.

It wasn’t until 2012 that Hartington was resurrected by two former employees who set up at Pikehall Farm, making cheese with milk from Gosling’s 200-strong herd of cows.

Gosling took over the business in 2019 and has been helped in his endeavours by entrepreneur Simon Spurrell, who joined last autumn.

Spurrell owns a software and marketing businesses, and is also the founder of the Cheshire Cheese Company, which sells a variety of waxed, blended cheeses. He set up the business 10 years ago and has grown it to be a £5m brand – £2m of which comes from online sales direct to consumers, who are encouraged to sign up to a free membership scheme with special offers and reward points.

The club currently has 105,000 members.

“All the lessons we’ve learned from the Cheshire Cheese Company have been applied to Hartington,” says Spurrell. “Hartington is a forgotten brand. I want to help it rise from its slumber to become what it should be, which is one of best-known Stilton makers.”

The plan is working, with Hartington’s newsletter list going from zero to more than 10,000 subscribers, giving the company a much better understanding of its customers, says Spurrell. “Stilton is an older demographic cheese, so one of the challenges is to find a younger market. Dovedale is a good way to do that. Softer Gorgonzola-style cheeses are seen as much trendier than granddad’s Stilton.”

Gosling adds: “The advantage of selling online and having a big range is you can start people on blended cheeses and Dovedale, but they come back for Shropshire Blue or Stilton.”

It seems like daring to be different is paying off.

CROSS

SECTION

Dovedale PDO

1 First developed in the 1990s by Dairy Crest, which previously owned the Hartington Creamery, Dovedale was one of the first Continental-style blues to be made in the UK. It received PDO protection in 1996.

2

3

Softer and milder than Stilton, the cheese must be made with milk from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire or Staffordshire, and manufactured within 50 miles of the River Dove. It is made in 350g individual cheeses and 2kg wheels, which are brined and aged for six to eight weeks.

The cheese develops a softer breakdown beneath the natural rind as it matures to create a two-tone texture.

Two years ago, Stilton accounted for 70% of sales at Hartington, but this figure has dropped to 50% as its other cheeses took off during the pandemic. Dovedale now accounts for 26% of turnover. As well as Dovedale, White Stilton and Blue Stilton, Hartington is entitled to make a fourth PDO cheese called Buxton Blue, production of which is scheduled to restart soon.

hartingtoncreamery.co.uk

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

21

World Cheese Awards will take place in Oviedo, Spain as part of the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival from the 3-6 November 2021 KEY DATES 2021: Open for entry: 23 August Closed for entry: 23 September Judging: 3 November ENTRY COSTS: Company turnover: less than £1m £48 per product (+VAT) Company turnover: £1m - £5m £55 per product (+VAT) Company turnover: more than £5m £68 per product (+VAT)

ORGANISERS

MAIN SPONSORS WCA 2021-22

RGB

Основний логотип

Повноколірний логотип

www.gff.co.uk/wca @guildoffinefood #worldcheeseawards Одноколірний логотип

Додатковий логотип з підписом

Додатковий логотип

Знак

Luxury English gin handcrafted in the Surrey Hills

Meet the family Silent Pool Gin captures the very essence of the Silent Pool and the surrounding Surrey Hills. Rare Citrus Gin brings together the Worlds’s rarest and most intriguing citrus fruits in perfect harmony. Whilst Rose Expression pays homage to the timeless English Rose, in all its varieties.

Our expert distillers love to experiment with a diverse range of seasonal ingredients to create innovative new spirits for your enjoyment. With an ever-expanding range of Gins, Gin Cordials and Aperitivos, there’s always something new to discover with our Small Batch range from Silent Pool Distillers.

Visit us at stand G15 at the Fine Food Show North for exclusive trade offers and a chance to sample our products. @silentpoolgin 20

@silentpooldistillers

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

silentpooldistillers.com

Find six different varieties of savoury biscuits in our Cheeseboard Selection Box.

W: www.keenscheddar.co.uk T: 01963 32286

www.stagbakeries.co.uk 1 09/08/2021

BOTS Relaunch 1-4pp advert.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

24

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

09:49

CUT&DRIED

making more of British & Continental charcuterie

NORTH OF ENGLAND SPECIAL

The Continental world is very traditional and fiercely local, but over here it’s about innovation and trying new things

Rooted in tradition Wildman Charcuterie’s staunchly local approach to producing his European-inspired range is a continuation and modernisation of generations-old practice

By Tom Dale

THE OWNER OF Wildman Charcuterie puts his recent Champion of Champions win for his bresaola at the British Charcuterie Live Awards down to the provenance of his beef, but this is nothing new.

The fifth-generation butcher and grazier’s family has been rearing, slaughtering and selling meat in the Yorkshire Dales since the 1800s, and Chris Wildman sees his business as a continuation – and modernisation – of this lineage. “Our family’s been making charcuterie for years,” he says, “bacon, pâté, headcheese, potted meat – it’s all charcuterie, but we just didn’t call it that.”

Wildman’s journey into Continentalstyle products began 15 years ago when touring the farmer’s markets and food

festivals of the North flogging his family’s produce. He decided the offer needed something different to draw in the customers – and one with a shelf-life of more than just three days. Yorkshire Chorizo was born.

The product took off – with a little help from a Saturday Kitchen-inspired fad for the spicy Spanish sausage – and subsequently, more lines were introduced. Inspired by his travels in Europe, Wildman set about putting a Yorkshire twist on many Continental classics.

Now, the range includes the champion Malhamdale Bresaola, home-cured bacons, various salamis – including the awardwinning Marmaduke and beer sticks made with North Brewing Co beer – guanciale, pancetta, speck and even a Chorizo Jam made in collaboration with Rosebud Preserves.

Wildman’s Yorkshire Gin Coppa exemplifies the charcutier’s approach. After production is complete at Whittaker’s Distillery, he collects buckets of the used, spirit-drenched botanicals and freezes them. “Then, I just get a handful out and it’ll be packed with orange peel and juniper, cinnamon stick, aniseed, sometimes rhubarb and I just put that in with my cure.

It imparts this amazing flavour into the muscle,” says Wildman.

This regional sourcing is important to Wildman, as is – unsurprisingly – the provenance of the meat that is used in his charcuterie and salumi. The Longhorn beef which goes into the Malhamdale Bresaola is from the family’s own herd and, before this year’s lockdown, the family farm’s own Oxford Sandy and Blacks were also used, but that has now changed. “A friend produces the most amazing Yorkshire woodland pork,” he

says. “He works with various estates in their woodland areas to graze his pigs, then moves on. It’s regenerative for the woodlands and makes incredible meat.”

During lockdown when Town End Farm Shop – the retail business Wildman also runs – was quiet, the charcutier had time to keep production consistent, putting two pigs a week into the curing chambers, and experimenting with new flavours.

Now, with the tourist season in full swing and restaurants back open, the producer is faced with a busy farm shop and a waiting list for his products. “It could be the award win, but to be honest, I think that just accentuated the problem,” he says.

“We have a product that people seem to appreciate and so I need to try and fulfil that demand and take it on to the next level.”

The retailer-charcutier says, with just him and his brother, Nigel, running Wildman Charcuterie, he needs to take a step back from the farm shop to focus on increasing production and playing with new flavours.

Wildman currently has various experimental new lines in development – including something using an illicit-looking, top-secret bag of herbs from a Michelinstarred restaurant in Yorkshire – something which he believes is the biggest asset of British charcuterie.

“The Continental world is very traditional, fiercely local, and they may have been making the same product for hundreds of years in their little village, but over here it’s about innovation and trying new things.

“We have a great position where we can experiment and create some new charcuterie with our own regional flair.” wildmanbritishcharcuterie.co.uk

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

25

plastic waste RETAIL DISCUSSION

Our friends in The North NORTH OF ENGLAND SPECIAL

It’s becoming a September tradition for FFD to host a round table discussion. So, with Fine Food Show North around the corner, we gathered some of The North of England’s best independent retail minds in Harrogate to consider the industry’s recent challenges, its future and possibly dispel the odd myth about what it’s like in the upper half of the country.

MEET THE PANEL Jennifer Horton, (The Corbridge Larder, Northumberland), Heather Parry (Yorkshire Event Centre / Fodder, Harrogate), Emma Mosey (Minskip Farm Shop, nr York) and Sangita Tryner (Delilah Fine Foods, Nottingham) sat down with Guild of Fine Food MD John Farrand and FFD editor Michael Lane to discuss all things independent in the Yorkshire Agricultural Society boardroom, next door to Fodder, in Harrogate.

Photography by Phil Taylor 26

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

DISCUSSION TOPIC: THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE The initial premise of this discussion was to test the theory of the North-South divide in the context of speciality food, so that’s where the conversation begins.

Heather Parry’s opening gambit concerns the produce itself.

“I think the one difference is the amount of speciality regional foods that we’ve got in The North. We’ve got more here than in the South,” she says. “There are bigger, more productive counties, with livestock, arable and the coast. And there’s a lot of really strong regional dishes – from Yorkshire pudding and parkin to pease pudding.”

“I’m not saying the South is dishonest but I think The North has got a bit more honesty in its food, more clarity. Companies base their call centres in The North because there’s more trust in those voices. It’s the same in food.”

The Corbridge Larder’s Jennifer Horton says this is reflected in the service that northern retailers offer, too.

“We’ve got a customer from London that comes in and he always says the service he gets here is much better than he gets down there,” she says adding that it’s a simple formula of freshly made food and friendliness.

Emma Mosey is quick to point out that the North-South divide is a problematic theory.

“I think we probably need to make a distinction between talking about London and talking about the whole of the South. I’ve just been to Devon and people were just as friendly as they are here and there are lots of local producers.”

She adds: “Maybe it’s a ‘rural versus city’ thing – but I would still say Northern cities are probably friendlier than London.”

“Rural areas down South have amazing farm shops. Not the same concentration that we have in Yorkshire, but they do.”

As one of two relieved southerners in the room, John Farrand thinks that a better understanding of, and relationship with, farming is certainly something that shapes the retail experience both in terms of

It’s a misnomer that there’s less affluence up North Emma Mosey, Minskip Farm Shop

customer attitude and the experience they want.

“Inherently people in London and the South East do not have a connection with the land, do they? It’s more often that brazen ‘I want to pay more money for food’ and ‘This is for the dinner party chat’.”

Sangita Tryner thinks that the Capital no longer has the monopoly on innovation in retail or food. “15-20 years ago when I first started, there was this ‘Ooh let’s go down to London and see what’s going on.’

“That’s not the case anymore. I want to go up North and see what they’re doing, to get more ideas and influences.”

The group then tackles an infamous lazy stereotype: people being tighter with their money up North.

“It’s a misnomer that there’s less affluence up North,” says Emma Mosey. “Generally, the incomes are lower, but I think in areas where you can commute to big cities from the countryside there is a lot of income.”

Heather Parry, who set up Fodder at the Yorkshire Event Centre to encourage take-up of local food says that not even retailers in

I’m not saying the South is dishonest but I think The North has got a bit more honesty in its food, more clarity.

God’s Own Country can escape the struggle of having to prove they are competitive with supermarkets on price.

“Fodder’s here next to a supermarket and their eggs are twice the price of ours, so this thing about local food being expensive isn’t actually true and we’ve done a lot of work on challenging that so we get a very broad visitor in.”

While Minskip’s Mosey agrees that staples should be accessibly priced, there is also a bit of a balancing act when it comes to the mark-up on other goods in a farm shop.

Jennifer Horton agrees. “It’s because it’s aspirational, so when you go in and it’s too cheap, people will think: ‘What’s wrong with it? Are they just trying to get rid of it?’”

For Sangita Tryner, the most urban of the retailers in the room, there is an element of price sensitivity, though.

“In Nottingham, we probably are. Lots of people might see us on the tram, pop their head in and see what we are and they do say: ‘God, a bar of chocolate for £3.29? Are you having a laugh?’”

“When I am buying for the deli I’ll be very careful. Yes, that might be an amazing product but can I sell it for what I need to sell it for?”

The conclusion around the table is that customers react the same was as they do in other parts of the country and they want the same things – but up North they’re getting that with more of a smile.

“I think they demand that up North,” says Tryner. “If you’re rude to them, they won’t come back to you.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Heather Parry, YEC / Fodder Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

27

RETAIL DISCUSSION DISCUSSION TOPIC: THE PRODUCER SCENE Echoing her earlier point, Heather Parry likens Yorkshire to the US state of Texas – in terms of its abundance of produce and products.

“Lemons and bananas are the only thing you can’t get here. You can’t get anyone to grow them. By God, I’ve tried!”

She adds that some gaps that perhaps would have seemed unfillable by local producers several years ago are now happening, with The Yorkshire Pasta Co being a prime example.

“There’s some really clever innovations coming on in places you wouldn’t expect,” she says, citing a grower in Bradford that has created a hybrid between radish and cress.

All of the retailers around the table agree that the small local producer scene is strong in their respective areas.

“In Northumberland, we’ve got so many producers and even more so since COVID,” says Jennifer Horton. “There’s a lot of people that were maybe on furlough and have decided to go out on their own. And I’m seeing more and more people come up with things. You get that more up North.”

And the panel also agrees that a lot of these producers very much see the independent retail market as the best place to start, shunning the route of start-up “brands” who seek listings with Ocado or Waitrose immediately – a phenomenon mentioned by John Farrand during the discussion.

Sangita Tryner says that the smaller cost pressures on start-ups in The North make it a perfect breeding ground. Like The Corbridge Larder, Delilah has seen a real upswing in numbers of new producers.

“In the last year, I have been bombarded by people saying ‘I’ve just come out of my job. I was an accountant but I’ve made this.’”

Tryner adds that she has taken a number of products on a ‘sale or return’ basis and has maintained her commitment to helping fledgling producers improve their products, businesses and margins.

Heather Parry groans at the mention of the last item, and producers’ lack of understanding about the differences of selling direct to consumer and into retail.

“I think one of the most depressing things is going to a food event and a producer is selling something at £2 to the consumer and they want to sell it to you at that, too. There’s a lot of work to be done to improve that.”

The discussion also highlights some other universal themes. While Emma Mosey’s farm shop isn’t looking to stock strongly branded, glossy start-ups, Delilah’s urban customer base expects them. And there are several stories swapped of smaller brands going into the multiples, leaving the independents that first supported them completely priced out.

Perhaps what every retailer will appreciate here, though, is the infuriating nature of trialling new products.

“We find that there’ll be things that producers say sell really well and we’ll buy it and it just sits there,” says Jennifer Horton.

“That happens all the time. Anything that 28

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

In the last year, I have been bombarded by people saying ‘I’ve just come out of my job. I was an accountant but I’ve made this’ Sangita Tryner, Delilah Fine Foods

somebody delists will sell well in our shop and anything that flies out the door elsewhere will stick.”

Heather Parry has had a similar experience at Fodder. Other nearby farm shops will recommend new items that work in their stores but they won’t sell for her, and vice versa, even though they’re 40 minutes down the road.

If nothing else, this goes some way to proving that all independents are unique.

DISCUSSION TOPIC: SUPPLY ISSUES

The general consensus among the assembled retailers was that independents have been coping better with the Brexit/COVIDinduced supply chain issues causing headaches for the supermarkets.

I’m seeing tariffs on imports where one day it’s a fiver and the next it’s £165 on the same product John Farrand, Guild of Fine Food

Everyone is finding that costs are going up but most suppliers are transparent about this and are fulfilling orders.

“We do a lot more Continental stuff and, yes, the prices have gone up but it’s gone up everywhere,” says Sangita Tryner. “Hand on heart, I can say I haven’t struggled to get anything. It might take a week longer to get it but customers are willing to wait. I mean, how badly do you need a cooking chorizo?”

There is talk at the table of some prices becoming untenable on European lines. “I’m seeing tariffs where one day it’s a fiver and the next it’s £165 on the same product,” says John Farrand.

And Tryner has also seen some lines double in price – and then had to drop them.

She adds that, at least, this price hike led her to discover how that line was produced with some pretty dubious raw materials.

The group agrees that quality is going to be the bigger issue going forward, whether it’s the provenance or the shelf life of orders declining.

Both Emma Mosey and Jennifer Horton say that they and their staff will have to be hotter on checking dates when orders arrive, with the latter already reporting an increase in wastage.

That said, the supply crisis is also an opportunity for independents to keep building their reputations further in the face of supermarkets letting consumers down – as happened during the first lockdown.

“I think we’ve got to keep that message going that we’re still here, still doing it and still being creative and we’ve got the stuff,” says Heather Parry. “Sainsburys next door was like a warzone last week.”

Jennifer Horton adds: “The good that will come out of it is, if we can make it in the UK, we will make it in the UK.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

Naturally Spanish Half page ad OUTPUT.pdf

1

28/05/2021

09:36

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

utors of UK distrib ave Torres h t s u m e th more.

Crisps and

K

Contact Daniel for catalogue and prices. tel: 01722 580166 sales@naturally-spanish.com www.naturally-spanish.com

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

29

30

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

ANALYSIS

RETAIL DISCUSSION I think it’s going to be about small independents, almost back to the 1950s when people shopped in their local environment.

Jennifer Horton, The Corbridge Larder

DISCUSSION TOPIC: COVID’S LEGACY AND OTHER PROBLEMS COMING Reputationally, COVID has been good for independents and Jennifer Horton thinks that this phenomenon will continue.

“I’ve certainly noticed over the last few years that people are understanding that what they’re buying from the supermarkets isn’t as fresh as they would think.”

But the virus also allowed all of the retailers around the table opportunities to experiment and improve their offer too.

The closure of her shopfloor to customers saw Horton rethink the positioning of items – chiefly the wine that has now moved from being obscured by upstairs café tables to a prominent position on the ground floor.

“Now we sell bucketloads,” she says.

“Probably partly because of COVID and everyone drinking more. It’s also almost like the sweeties by the till with kids.”

The switch to more online and delivery retailing, has seen The Corbridge Larder develop its hamper business properly. “In five years we’d sold 30 hampers because it’s something we’d never got round to. In the last nine month we’ve sold something like 600.”

Heather Parry says the pandemic has made most retailers a bit braver. “The energy of COVID has shown us you actually can do stuff and you can do it much quicker than you thought. And actually the wheels don’t fall off, it just changes. It gets tidier as it goes on but it doesn’t have to be perfect from day one.”

Emma Mosey, who was opening a restaurant at Minskip Farm Shop as the virus struck in 2020, found herself with lots of staff on the books and has retained them throughout. She says having a larger team has allowed her to delegate and devote more time to thinking about the direction of the business,

even though the shop has been twice as busy as it ever was pre-pandemic.

For Sangita Tryner at Delilah, putting social media to use has been a big eye-opener, having shied away from it before COVID. “It’s been massive for us because it was the only avenue,” she says, adding that Delilah ran one of its virtual wine tastings with 240 guests, resulting in sales of £15,000.

“Obviously we’ll be continuing that kind of thing,” she says. “And because the cost of doing it is small, you could bring me just 20 people!”

DISCUSSION TOPIC: THE FUTURE OF RETAILING – RURAL OR URBAN? John Farrand starts the conversation by repeating concerns voiced to the Guild and FFD about the increasing number of farm shops that aren’t technically farm shops.

“Some farm shop owners, who are proper farmers, get annoyed with the ‘food hall in a field’ situation. Do you sense any of that?”

Emma Mosey, whose operation is based on a farm, says the idea of a shop that isn’t linked to a farm can be acceptable. “If they’re supporting local producers and encouraging people to shop at other gourmet food outlets, I don’t see a problem with it at all. The more people that shop at places like ours, the better.”

Having toiled in a city centre location for over 15 years, Sangita Tryner feels that there is plenty of potential for this food hall model.

“I think you’re going to see a lot more of that, where people like me – that are delis – are going to be looking for a bigger piece of the farm shop pie,” she says, adding that a new breed of retailers could emerge, as deli operators reconsider their locations.

The panel agrees that increasingly it is food destinations – usually more rural ones that offer a combination of foodservice, retail and

non-food – that appeal most to consumers.

While Tryner tells the group that delis like hers cannot survive without foodservice, it is agreed that farm shops could manage – but most are likely to maximise the revenue from day-trippers with a café or restaurant offer.

Jennifer Horton also thinks there’s potential in cities. “I know there’s been a move out of town but people are also going to be coming in to the city because we need more housing and people are going to want to shop around them. I think it’s going to be about small independents, almost back to the 1950s when people shopped in their local environment.”

Tryner agrees with this point, adding that delis have a chance if they are surrounded by other independents. She admits that she has been considering locations on a street but not necessarily the main high street.

“During lockdown, I was most jealous of shops on this one strip just outside of the city [Nottingham]. It was rammed. More people there than in the centre. I thought, ‘Jeez I should’ve done a pop-up’.”

She is also in active talks with Nottingham’s council about how they revive the city centre, which needed a refresh even before the pandemic.

“It used to have such a draw for small independent shopping and that’s hopefully where we’re going. Although the Debenhams and the Burtons are leaving massive holes, they could be filled with something really exciting”.

Those around the table agree that planning regulations and business rates will have a big impact on whether change can really happen.

Fine Food Digest would like to thank Fodder and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society for hosting this event.

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

31

Find us on stand D8

SMOKED MUTTON

DORSET COPPA

GUANCIALE

CHORIZO

SMOKED PANCETTA

PANCETTA

PANNAGE HAM

VENISON SALAMI

Manufacturers of depositors & filling machines for the food production industry 01282 440040 | info@riggsautopack.co.uk

www.riggsautopack.co.uk 32

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Dark Woods Coffee

Quality at every stage Whether it’s through direct sourcing relationships, expert roasting or extensive barista training, Yorkshire’s Dark Woods Coffee ensures its customers will get the very best in their cup COFFEE FOR EVERYONE More than anything else, Dark Woods wants the finest coffee to be both enjoyable and accessible to everyone. That’s why the company offer a range of roasts and styles that truly reflects the coffee that people want to drink.

HOSPITALITY & RETAIL Dark Woods specialises in supplying independent retail and hospitality businesses with a range of coffee products. Its customer base includes farm shops and delis (especially those with cafés), speciality coffee shops, restaurants, boutique hotels, visitor attractions and universities across the UK. “We’re lucky to work alongside many like-minded businesses, such as The Camden Grocer in London,” says co-founder Damian Blackburn. “For them, the quality of service given is as important as the product.”

SOURCING Dark Woods has direct sourcing relationships in over 15 coffee-producing areas, and it returns to those producers time and time again for the quality of their harvests.

“From farms and producer groups in Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Panama in Latin America, to the mountainous regions of Ethiopia, India, China and the Yemen, we are always

looking for coffees with beautiful flavours and provenance,” says Blackburn.“Paying more for better coffee naturally benefits producers and their communities, but this alone is not a solution to the inequalities that are rife within the industry. We develop lasting relationships, with long-term contracts. By investing directly in those communities we hope to make real and meaningful differences.”

ROASTING CRAFT At the roastery in the Colne Valley, Dark Woods takes an artisanal approach to production – hand-roasting in small batches and hand-finishing retail products with signature rivets and tags. The business is proud to have won over 40 Great Taste awards in the past 5 years, and 2 prestigious Golden Fork awards. The teams sees this as a reflection of their commitment to quality across a range of styles. It also helps customers sell more of the product from the shelves and in their cafés.

PACKAGING & PRESENTATION “It’s about ensuring there is a coffee for everyone’s individual tastes,” says Blackburn.

The core range of coffees comes in striking retail bags (both beans and ground) and is well-suited to everyday and gift purchases.

Nespresso compatible pods and re-usable coffee tins are also available.

The Producer Series is dedicated to seasonal, single-origin coffees from farmer suppliers while the Reserve range focuses on very small batch, limited edition coffees that push the boundaries of aroma and flavour.

“We support our customers with a range of A-boards, posters, postcards and consumer leaflets to help promote the products in a very visual, informative manner,” adds Blackburn.

COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT Dark Woods is a Certified B Corporation and a Living Wage Employer. Taking a hollistic approach is part of the company’s DNA. “Coffee is a very global product but we’re proudly Yorkshire-based, too and the business is committed to reinvesting 2% of its annual turnover in both the local community, and in projects centred around our producer partners,” says co-founder Ian Agnew. “In 2020, that included over £5,000 to the Welcome Centre food bank in Huddersfield, funds to our local Mountain Rescue Team, helping to establish a Farmer Radio project in Panama and backing three Café Femenino Foundation projects in Peru, to help preserve water resources.”

TRAINING & SUPPORT “Training is integral to what we do, helping our customers and their staff to feel comfortable working with coffee equipment and presenting beautiful, tasty cups of coffee to their customers,” says co-founder and expert barista Paul Meikle-Janney. “This can mean training at the roastery’s dedicated facility, or on site. We can provide both certified, globally recognised barista training and accessible, in-house modular training sessions.

“Dark Woods is a member of the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA), the international organisation steering the future of speciality coffee, and we have been actively involved in its education committee for many years, helping to write the training standards used across the world.”

www.darkwoodscoffee.co.uk 01484 843141 info@darkwoodscoffee.co.uk Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

33

RESULTS OUT NOW www.greattasteawards.co.uk

NEW FOR THIS YEAR: Find out where your favourite winners are stocked* gff.co.uk greattasteawards @guildoffinefood #greattasteawards #ispygreattaste

2

*This information is available online, where entrants have provided details. Entrants can update stockist details at any time within their MyGuild account: myguild.gff.co.uk.

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

It's wonderful to win 1 Star

Imagine how it tastes to win 3!

32

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

www.thompsonstea.com

t rt h us a o e F4 w N Se nd ho ate a st d S og at oo arr F H ne in Fi

39

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021

The North’s biggest annual fine food & drink show will again be focused on the very best local, regional and speciality products

Yorkshire Event Centre Sunday 17th & Monday 18th October

Register now at gff.co.uk/shows/ffsn

Use the postcode HG2 8QZ to find us…

…or take our shuttle bus from Harrogate train station

IT’S BEEN NINETEEN months since last year’s event, and now Fine Food Show North is back. That means, at last, you can discover and taste the latest products, and talk to the makers faceto-face.

This year’s show will give retailers, buyers and chefs the chance to uncover the stories behind the latest lines and, with many exhibitors coming for the first time, there will be plenty of inspiration for your shelves or menus.

This year, the Deli Kitchen will be playing host to the latest ingredients and on-trend recipes. As we take stock of the effects of the COVID crisis and Brexit, the long-running demonstration area will also be hosting a discussion on the state of the food & drink trade, and, ahead of the COP26 climate talks, we will take a look at how you can make your business more sustainable.

With more than 130 exhibitors as well as the usual strong programme of tastings and demonstrations, there will be plenty to inspire you and your customers for the year ahead. Come and see us on stand E23 and learn more about our new Deli Code of Practice, our relaunched cheese training, and how being a member of the Guild could reinvigorate your business. We look forward to seeing you in Harrogate.

Tortie Farrand, Show director, Guild of Fine Food

Sunday 10am-4pm Monday 9am-5pm

@guildoffinefood #finefoodnorth #ISpyGreatTaste Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

37

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021 WHAT’S ON AT THE SHOW? Sunday 17th October

11.30-12.30 The Deli Kitchen

Cooking to inspire your customers

Private chef and food writer Philippa Davis will take over The Deli Kitchen stage on Sunday morning, arming you with recipes to inspire your customers using ingredients from Great Taste award-winning exhibitors.

12.30-13.30 The Jolly Tasty Bar

Shaking up a storm

Encourage your customers to create a world-class cocktail experience at home, using more than just the liquid in the glass. Jonny Shields from Canvas will demonstrate not only how to mix the perfect serve, but also how to upsell and cross-sell his favourite spirits from the show.

13.00-14.00 The Deli Kitchen

Feed the Dragon

Watch and learn as four brave exhibitors pitch their product to a panel of hard-nosed retail experts and top food buyers. All will receive invaluable advice from industry professionals, but will any products impress them enough to get listed?

SESSIONS TO LOOK OUT FOR FEED THE DRAGON In this Dragon’s Den-style event, four producers pitch their wares to a panel of buyers, retailers and retail experts, including renowned Selfridges buyer Adrian Boswell; Matt Bruno, brand and innovations lead at Booths; CEO of Cotswold Fayre – the speciality food wholesaler supplying nearly 2,000 retail outlets – Paul Hargreaves; and Julie Mills, former Waitrose buyer who now runs Keelham Farm Shop in Yorkshire.

FORAGE THE SHOW Join Nigel Barden on one of his two exclusive ‘foraging tours’ of this year’s show, where the food & drink guru will be highlighting the newest ingredients and stand-out brands that will keep your customers coming back for more. These tours are always popular, so book your spot now by visiting bit.ly/Nigel-ShowTour-SUNDAY or bit.ly/NigelShow-Tour-MONDAY.

GREAT TASTE 2021: GOLDEN FORKS The Golden Forks – the culmination of this year’s Great Taste – will be held on Sunday 17th October after the day’s programme comes to an end.

The invite-only event will reveal the winners of the best three-star products across 16 categories, including the Supreme Champion, plus the Guild of Fine Food-sponsored Contribution to Fine Food award.

All the 3-star products that make the final cut go through a rigorous second round of judging before the winners in each category are announced at the ceremony, also held at the Yorkshire Event Centre.

The day after, visitors can hear what it means to the newly crowned Supreme Champion producer at 10.00am in the Deli Kitchen.

14.00-14.45 The Jolly Tasty Bar

Forage the Show

Fancy the chance to follow Nigel Barden as he leads his exclusive foraging tour of Fine Food Show North? He’ll guide you around his top picks for 2021, highlighting new ingredients, stand-out brands and the most exciting award-winners at this year’s show.

38

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

MANY THANKS TO ALL OUR SHOW PARTNERS

Arabian Specialities

Winner of 68 GTA’s in 15 years www.terra-rossa.com

Explore it all on Stand C15 +44 (0)20 8661 9695

Importing Highest Quality Italian Products Visit us at FFSN’21 on stand D28

“I have been dealing with Tenuta Marmorelle for over 5 years and have seen the company grow but still maintain the same high quality and ever increasing range of products accompanied by wonderful service.

A pleasure to deal with!!!”

Maria, owner of Mainsgill Farm Shop (Trade customer)

“The loveliest of pastas and the sauces are just divine. Will not buy anything else now.”

Mags Whyler (Private customer)

Winners of 13 Great Taste Awards in 2020

Call today 01635 744600 or visit our website

www.tenutamarmorelle.com

Directly from Italy, Stocked & Distributed in the United Kingdom Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

39

Pink Grapefruit Tonic

Rose Gin & Sloe Gin

All Natural Premium Mixers

Strawberry YORKSHIRE & Pomegranate, Pink Grapefruit, Premium, TONICS Citrus, Apple & Elderflower and Skinny Premium

www.raisthorpemanor.com www.raisthorpemanor.com sales@raisthorpemanor.co.uk

01377 288295 01377 288295

See us at FFSN ’21 on stand B16

Fresh Luxury Dairy Products Visit us at Fine Food Show North Stand F21. sales@clottonhalldairy.co.uk | www.clottonhalldairy.co.uk clottonhalldairy.co.uk

Loose Leaf Tea

40

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

0120 757 1333

t sa

info@tea-enthusiasts.com

d Fin u a ll

St

Over 200 unique blends of artisinal loose leaf tea.

Ethically sourced and available in a range of eye-catching eco-friendly packaging.

@TheTeaEnthusiasts

E5

@TeaEnthusiasts

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021 SESSIONS TO LOOK OUT FOR INDUSTRY DISCUSSION: STATE OF THE MARKET

After a challenging 18 months, the fine food & drink trade is, in the main, in good health. Our panel of industry experts are set to discuss the findings of the Guild of Fine Food’s sector survey and what it means for the future of your business. Panellists will include Ananda Guha from Defra, The EPOS Bureau CEO Nigel Bogle, John Gill of Booths, Hawkshead Relish co-founder Maria Whitehead MBE and Sangita Tryner of Nottingham deli, Delilah Fine Foods. Chaired

by John Farrand, MD of the Guild of Fine Food, with the opportunity for audience questions.

WHAT’S ON AT THE SHOW? Monday 18th October 10.00 The Deli Kitchen

Meet the Supreme Champion

Following the reveal of the Golden Fork award winners on Sunday evening, hear first-hand what it means to the Supreme Champion of Great Taste 2021 10.30-11.30 The Deli Kitchen

The state of our market

Join our panel of industry experts as they discuss the findings of our sector survey and what it means for the future of your business.

11.30-12.15 The Jolly Tasty Bar

INDUSTRY DISCUSSION: HOW CAN YOUR BUSINESS SAVE THE PLANET?

Forage the Show

COP26 is set to be the most important meeting of minds to tackle climate change across the globe. But how can we make this relevant to small food & drink makers and retailers? Listen and learn as our panel of industry experts explore what sustainability means in the food & drink trade and how you can make a difference with your business. Panellists include Paul Hargreaves, CEO of BCorp wholesaler Cotswold Fayre and Selfridges sustainability manager Abby Chicken.

11.30-12.15 The Deli Kitchen

Join Nigel Barden as he leads his final foraging tour of this year’s show. Meet the makers and learn the stories behind the products that will keep your customers coming back for more.

How can your business save the planet?

Listen and learn as our panel explores what sustainability is and how you can make a genuine difference to your business, your team and your customers. Hosted by Christabel Cairns.

A TASTE OF DIVERSITY: CULTURAL SENSITIVITY AND HOW TO GET IT RIGHT Food retailers & producers need to wake up to cultural differences and cater for the diverse customers in their communities. In this talk, food writer, cookbook author, entrepreneur and communications consultant Mallika Basu will highlight the need for greater diversity and inclusion in the industry and explain where we’re getting it wrong.

MANY THANKS TO ALL OUR SHOW PARTNERS

13.30-14.30 The Jolly Tasty Bar

Perfect Pairings

Discover the latest cheese matching trends from the fountain of knowledge that is Patrick McGuigan and the School of Fine Food.

Impress your customers with boozy cheese pairings beyond the usual bottle of red.

14.30-15.30 The Jolly Tasty Bar

A taste of diversity: Cultural sensitivity and how to get it right In this lively session, Mallika Basu will highlight the need for greater diversity & inclusion, and explain where we’re getting it wrong.

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

41

Equipment Sales | Barista Training | Award Winning

Award-winning S M A L L B AT C H G I N Inspired by the natural beauty of the British countryside.

Come & see us

Visit the website for our full range

RIBBLEVALLEYGIN.CO.UK

Ethically sourced coffee hand roasted in Yorkshire

on stand A4 01274 595 841 www.casaespresso.co.uk contact@casaespresso.co.uk

Stand D15

www.hawksheadrelish.com 42

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021

#

47 Degrees Coffee www.47degreescoffee.com 80Noir Ultra www.80noirultra.com

A

AB Infusions www.ab-gold.com Acorn Dairy www.acorndairy.co.uk Allotment Drinks www.allotmentuk.com

B

Benjis Bites www.benjisbites.co.uk Biltong and Jerky Boss www.biltongboss.co.uk Black Storm Brewery www.blackstormbrewery.com Bo Tree Farm www.botreefarm.co.uk Boom Boom Foods www.madamchangs.co.uk Brindle Distillery www.brindledistillery.co.uk Bumble Wrap www.bumblewrap.co.uk Burtree Puddings www.burtreepuddings.co.uk

C

Cakes from the Lakes www.cakesfromthelakes.com Capreolus Fine Foods www.capreolusfinefoods.co.uk

F27 B20

H3 D7 K1

D3 F13 K2 E16 C23 A14 H12 J7

G22 D8

Casa Espresso A4 www.casaespresso.co.uk Chilli Inc. E24 www.chilliinc.co.uk ChoccoBar D27 www.choccobar.co.uk Clive’s Wines F3 www.cliveswines.co.uk Clotton Hall Dairy F21 www.clottonhalldairy.co.uk Coffee Care (NC) H20 www.coffeecare.co.uk Conservas Catalina H27 www.conservascatalina.com Contact Grills (Pocklington) A10 www.contactgrills.co.uk COOK Trading D16 www.cookfood.net Craggs and Co E20 www.craggsandco.co.uk Cryer & Stott Cheesemongers (Allerton Bywater) A1 www.cryerandstott.co.uk Cumbrian Tea and Cumbrian Coffee Co, The E1 www.cumbrian-tea.co.uk Curious Cat Distillery A29 www.curiouscatdrinks.co.uk Curious Libations B3 www.libationsrum.com

D

Dark Woods Coffee www.darkwoodscoffee.co.uk Derw Coffee www.derwcoffee.co.uk Dip ‘N’ Pour www.dipnpour.co.uk Discovering Durham CIC www.discoveringdurhamcic.com

A20 H10 G1 E5

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

43

PREMIUM ENGLISH FRUIT WINE

See us on stand C28 at Fine Food Show North

CLIVESWINES.CO.UK

Finings and sulphates free Suitable for vegetarians and vegans Free from artificial colours and preservatives See us on social ...

, ugh to care Small enuogh to support large enor business' you

Ethically & ED DIRECTLY TRAD coffee

Visit Us at Stand B11

Availa b 250g f le in retaile or or 1kg rs whole for sale

Frazer's Coffee Roasters is a small artisan coffee Roasters. We source our beans by going directly to farms across the world to get the best beans and pay farmers the best price. We supply B2B nationwide delivery with next day available.

We also have a new trend to offer - Nitro Cold Brew Coffee - its really tasty so come and try for yourself.

Contact us

Directly Sourced From the Farmer & Roasted by Us in Sheffield 07885445315 / 01142015815 Means Better Quality Coffee www.frazerscoffeeroasters.co.uk With an Ethical Choice frazerscoffeeroasters@gmail.com

44

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

INDEPENDENT ARTISAN ROASTER BASED IN SHEFFIELD, UK.

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021 …DARK WOODS COFFEE Dark Woods Coffee will be launching its new range of coffee tins at Fine Food Show North.

Available as coffee beans, or pre-ground coffee, the range includes the Huddersfield roastery’s best-selling blends – Under Milk Wood, Common Grounds (Whiskey Barrel Aged coffee), Good Morning Sunshine, Snow Stone, and the 2019 Golden Fork-winning Panama La Huella single origin. The tins have reusable screw tops with one-way freshness valves. darkwoodscoffee.co.uk

E

English Lakes Ice Cream www.lakesicecream.com EPOS Bureau, The www.theeposbureau.com

F

Family Secret www.familysecret.co.uk Farmer’s Son Black Pudding & Haggis, The www.thefarmersson.com Field-Fare (Agra Freeze) www.field-fare.com Fine Cheese Co., The www.finecheese.co.uk Food and Drink North East www.fadne.org Foodversity www.Foodversity.co.uk Forge Waste & Recycling www.forgerecycling.co.uk Frazer’s Coffee Roasters www.frazerscoffeeroasters.co.uk

G

Ghee Appétit www.gheeappetit.co.uk Gin Bothy, The www.ginbothy.co.uk

B2 G21

C8 G16 H28 D2 C26 E22 G11 B11

E2 F23

Goosnargh Gin www.goosnarghgin.co.uk Gorgeous Food Company, The www.gorgeousfoodcompany.co.uk GreatDrams www.greatdrams.com Gwenynfa Penybryn Apiary www.penybrynhoney.com

J6 H1 B8 B22

H

Haigh’s www.haighsbakery.co.uk Happy Hedgehog Foods www.happyhedgehogfoods.co.uk Hawkshead Relish Company www.hawksheadrelish.com Highland Boundary www.highlandboundary.com

I

I J Mellis Cheesemongers www.mellischeese.net Infinitypay www.infinitypay.co.uk Irish Black Butter Company, The www.irishblackbutter.com Isaac Poad Brewing www.isaacpoadbrewing.co.uk

K5 D5 D15 E12

G10 C2 B25 H8

RIAN T B M CU

E

THE

New for the show…

CUM

www.gff.co.uk

BR

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

C

45

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021

J

New for the show… …AB GOLD Launched by two friends in the COVID lockdown of December 2020, AB Gold Rum is blended using traditional pot-stilled, oakbarrel aged Jamaican rums, and made from virgin Caribbean sugar cane. Aged up to seven years, AB Gold is a 100% natural product with no additives, flavourings or colourings, and has been brought to bottle strength using Yorkshire spring water. RRP £39.95 for a 70cl bottle. ab-gold.com

Just Oil & Just Crisps www.justcrisps.co.uk

K

Kandy Kitchen Creations www.kandykitchencreations.co.uk KC Caviar www.kccaviar.co.uk Kin Vodka www.kinvodka.co.uk Krafty Braumeister, The www.kraftybraumeister.co.uk

L

Labelling Solutions www.labelling-solutions.com Le Gruyere AOP www.gruyere.com Little Doone Foods www.littledoone.co.uk

M

J14

D13 F28 D25 H17

C1 C29 F4

Macneil’s Smokehouse C13 www.macneilssmokehouse.co.uk Manchester Smoke House F29 www.themanchestersmokehouse.co.uk Mayfield Foods Ltd t/a Ofishial Foods C4 www.mayfieldfoods.co.uk

SINCE 2007 WORLDWIDE GLASS SUPPLIER We are a leading global distributor of glass packaging, providing a range of innovative solutions for the food, drink, and cosmetics industries.

GRIMSBY

GLASS JARS & BOTTLES EVER EXPANDING RANGE WITH STANDARD & BESPOKE SOULTIONS

CLOSURES TWIST OFF CAPS & CORK STOPPERS Every container deserves the right closure, and our selection of standard caps can offer just that, from cork stoppers to crown caps, twist off, ROPP and GPI. Our in-house design team can help offer a fully customised option for all closures.

ENQUIRE TODAY & JOIN OUR STORY 46

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

With over 200 unique jars and bottles available, our carefully crafted range will help match your product with the right glass container no matter the industry.

+44 (0)1472 340005 www.pattesonsglass.co.uk sales@pattesonsglass.co.uk

Moore House Cocktail Company www.moorehousecocktails.co.uk

N

Naturally Spanish www.naturally-spanish.com Ndulj Ltd t/a Fudged Up www.ndulj.co.uk Northumbrian Pantry www.northumbrianpantry.com Now Now South African Food www.nownowfood.co.uk Nutcessity www.nutcessity.co.uk

O

Ojos Foods, The www.theojosfoods.com Otterbeck Distillery www.otterbeckdistillery.co.uk Oxton Liqueur Company, The www.oxtonliqueurs.co.uk

P

Packaging 4 Retail www.packaging4retail.co.uk Patteson’s Glass www.jarsandbottles.co.uk .pepper..field www.pepperfield.com

E26

C12 B12 A2 E8 D21

A31 D29 C6

G8 F20 H16

Taste our award-winning products on stand E16

Established in the heat of March 2020 we are a collective of producers from County Durham and surrounding areas. We use our shopfront in Durham City to promote and develop our products. All profits from the shop are then reinvested in the supplying businesses so they grow and develop.

t sa

Find u St

al

l E5

Find out more by visiting our website or come see our stall at the show

www.DiscoveringDurhamCIC.com

@DiscoveringDurhamCIC

@DurhamDiscover

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

47

Much M Mo o rre e T Than han H Hot o t Chocolate C hoc ol at e

A P PREMIU RE E MIUM M B LE LEN ND D DARK CHO C O L A T E B o o s t s y o u r M i nd, Body & Soul C O M E & SAY HI

S T A N D B20

80Noir Ultra Hot Chocolate Beads

Digital Introducing customisable digitally printed paper bags!

Print your design on all sides of the bag in full colour.

There are no origination charges, so change

VISIT US: www.80noirultra.com CALL US: 07583 155 932

80Noir Ultra Chocolate Bar

Natural, Hearty, Tasty Family Meals

the design as often as you like.

The minimum order quantity is only 250 bags, so buy only as many as you need.

For heavier loads, the UltraBag™ option offers the strength of plastic and the environmental advantages of paper.

Soups, Stews and Risottos:

• Can add meat and veg if required.

• Herbs, spices and stock all included, just add water.

• Four portions per packet.

• Gluten Free and Vegan options available.

• Some can be made in a slow cooker as well as on the hob.

Puddings:

• Simple, easy to follow instructions • Just need eggs and margarine, a cooker or fridge.

Ideal for: Camping, self-catering welcome baskets, hampers and gifts etc. Deli, Farm Shop, Garden Centre and Food Hall shelves.

Recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable. web: www.dempsondigital.co.uk • call: 07738 767 086 e-mail: orders@dempsondigital.co.uk 48

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

Kandykitchencreations@gmail.com | 07814 824180 www.kandykitchencreations.co.uk

www.kandykitchencreations.co.uk

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021 Priory Vodka www.prioryvodka.co.uk Proper Nutty www.propernutty.co.uk Puréety Gourmet Flavours www.pureety.com

Q

Queen Fryers Drinks www.queenfryersdrinks.co.uk

R

Raisthorpe Manor Fine Foods www.raisthorpemanor.com Real Organic Foods www.realorganic.co.uk Redhill Farm Free Range Pork www.redhillfarm.com Ribble Valley Gin Company, The www.ribblevalleygin.co.uk Rounton Coffee www.rountoncoffee.co.uk Russian Food Company, The www.russianpies.com

S

Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co www.sevenbro7hers.com Shepherds Purse Cheeses DRIVERS Fine Food Digest www.shepherdspurse.co.uk

B15

Shire Foods East Anglia www.shirefoodsofnorfolk.co.uk Side Oven Bakery, The www.sideoven.com Silent Pool Distillery www.silentpooldistillers.com SIZL Spices www.sizlspices.com Slow Vinegar Company, The www.theslowvinegarcompany.co.uk Snaffling Pig www.snafflingpig.co.uk Soho Juice Co www.sohojuice.co.uk SORSO www.sorsosauce.com

E28 A18

F25

B16 B14

T

C16 C20 F1 F16

A30 A21

SEPT OCT.pdf

1

Tarbraxus Distillers www.pentlandhillsgin.co.uk Tea Venture Limited t/a NovelTea www.noveltea-drinks.com Tempus Foods www.tempusfoods.com Tenuta Marmorelle www.tenutamarmorelle.com Terra Rossa Jordan www.terra-rossa.com Twelve Below www.twelvebelow.co.uk Two Farmers 16/07/2021 16:14 www.twofarmers.co.uk

J10

New for the show…

D23

…KIN VODKA

G15

Lake District-based Kin Vodka, producers of the award-winning Kin Toffee + Vodka, has grown its range with the addition of its newly launched Toffee Apple + Vodka. The inspiration for the new line was borne from mixing the brand’s original vodka liqueur with apple juice. The new spirit has a 20.3% ABV and an RRP of £20 per 500ml bottle. kinvodka.co.uk

B27 C21 H4 B1 C5

H21 D9 G2 D28 C15 D1 C28

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

49

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2021 New for the show… …I LOVE SNACKS Now in ‘infinitely recyclable’ and resuable tins, Great Taste producer I Love Snacks will be exhibiting its new packaging for its range of plant-based snacks at Fine Food Show North. More than three years in the making, the brand’s Smoked Almonds, Fava Crisps with Sea Salt & Black Pepper, Pistachios with Rosemary & Sea Salt, Hot Chilli Corn Nuts, and 70% Cocoa Chocolate will be available in the new, more eco-friendly packaging. RRP £1.30 - £1.80 ilovesnacks.co.uk

U

New for the show…

Urban Future Farm (t/a Belle & Herbs Farm) C9 www.belleandherbs.farm

V

Vegware www.vegware.com Voyager Coffee www.voyagercoffee.co.uk

G11 G27

W

Wild & Fruitful www.wildandfruitful.co.uk Winter Tarn Cheese www.wintertarn.co.uk Wood’s Brownie Co www.woodsbrownieco.co.uk

Y

…QUEEN FRYERS DRINKS After soft launching at the end of 2020, Queen Fryers Drinks will be bringing its range of two premium sodas to Fine Food Show North for the first time. Its Currant Cola and Grapefruit Soda are both made from fruit pressed by the producer with the addition of only spices and sugar, with no essences, liquid sugars, or added flavourings. queenfryersdrinks.co.uk

C25 F9 F17

Yorkshire Dama Cheese www.yorkshiredamacheese.co.uk YourZooki www.yourzooki.com

K3 A27

s at u t i Vis ’21 on N FFS nd E20 sta

Our award-winning flour is produced from the finest ancient grains which are sustainably grown in the beautiful British countryside.

Our entire range carry the highly sought after Great Taste 2 and 3 star awards, in recognition of outstanding quality and flavour.

Available in 1kg and 20kg bags. Minimum order 2 boxes of 10 × 1 kg bags. No delivery charges.

Call or email today for a trade price list Sustainably farmed

BRC certified products

High in protein & fibre

Competitive & stable pricing

01740 629 529 | info@craggsandco.co.uk | www.craggsandco.co.uk 50

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

Damask Rose Buds & Lemon Verbena

Red Amaranth & Lemon Thyme

Kykeon (Traditional)

Kykeon (Modern) & Chamomile

Mountain Mint & Olive Leaf

Adopting the same meticulous approach reserved for tea and coffee, and applying it to herbal infusions, Nazani Tea was born. Partner with the UK’s only luxury herbal brand based on transparency and ethical sourcing for the finest collection of caffeine-free infusions. The Nazani Tea family is here to work alongside you to ensure your clientele or guests experience the most exclusive and memorable infusions either in or out of the home.

@nazanitea GA

N &

G

F

VE

www.nazanitea.com • contact@nazanitea.com •

WE’VE GOT THE RECIPE FOR MORE CUSTOMERS O

PT

S ION

Take the finest sustainably sourced ingredients, combine them in tried-and-tested homemade recipes, package and present them beautifully and then deliver them on time and with a minimum hassle.

That’s the Cakehead way and, whether you own a café, deli or garden centre, it helps you put out a gorgeous display for your customers. Add free delivery on orders over £150, next day delivery when you order before midday and Vegan and Gluten-free options, and we think you’ll find it pretty irresistible too.

www.cakehead.co.uk @cakeheadb2b

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

51

Raydale Preserves

All our products are handmade in the Yorkshire Dales.

www.hsfrenchflint.co.uk 0207 237 1750

52

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

FOCUS ON

foodservice

EQUIPMENT & INGREDIENTS

FROM THE DELI KITCHEN SIMPLE RECIPES TO BOOST YOUR MARGINS

CARROT DIP Using the ubiquitous root vegetable to make a dip is all the rage. Our recipe works well with a carrot top pesto (see tip below), so you can make this into a completely zero-waste dish.

Serves: 6 Prep: 15mins Cook: 50mins

Ingredients: 1kg carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks 2tsp paprika 1tsp sumac ¼ tsp allspice 2 tins of white beans or pinto beans 100g toasted walnuts 125ml olive oil 2tbsp red wine vinegar 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped Juice of 1 lemon

Method: • Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 6.

• Toss the carrots on a large baking tray, with about 3tbsp of the olive oil. Season well and roast for 45 minutes until cooked through. Remove and allow to cool.

• Tip the cooled carrots, drained beans, walnuts (reserve a few for decoration), paprika, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice in a blender and blitz to a smooth paste.

• Season well and drizzle over a little extra olive oil and sprinkle the remaining walnuts.

• Serve the dip with sliced ciabatta, crackers, crudites, or crisps.

Leicester-based Drivers Pickles has launched catering sizes of several popular lines. 1906 Pickled Onions, Mini Onions in Honey & Balsamic Vinegar and Cornichons in White Balsamic Vinegar are all available in 1.7kg jars, while Spicy Mango Chutney, Real Ale Chutney, Chunky Piccalilli, Farmhouse Pickle and Cucumber Relish infused with Gin now come in 1.3kg bottles. pickle-lovers.co.uk For those kitchens that are short of space, Electrolux Professional has launched a range of tabletop food preparation appliances. The TrinityPro line-up includes a vegetable slicer, cutter mixer, and an all-in-one combined cutterslicer. The machines are easily cleaned, thanks to dishwasher-safe components, and all feature a vertical lever pusher for uniform cutting results. electroluxprofessional.com

Michael Lane

Tip: to make carrot top pesto, blitz 100g carrot tops with 100g basil, 50g Parmesan and 80ml olive oil – and add just enough water to make a smooth pesto-like consistency. Dot this over the carrot dip.

Recipe by Jules Mercer for Fine Food Digest

OGGS has unveiled a new format for its egg alternative designed especially for foodservice.

The resealable and recyclable 1-litre Aquafaba carton contains the equivalent of 10 egg whites. Once opened it has a refrigerated shelf-life of 7 days but can be stored unopened at ambient temperature for 180 days. loveoggs.com

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

53

trio to a savoury delight!

We also have our new McCoo range available.

To find out more, contact Sarah Gray’s Direct – info@ sarahgrays.co.uk or order through our wholesaler The Cress Co 0845 643 1330.

MADE BY ME ON OUR ANGUS FARM

Kombucha Puissance de Rose Kimchi Traditionelle

Follow your gut

- it’s where the MAGIC happens

Available from Sarah Gray’s Direct info@sarahgrays.co.uk or through our wholesaler The Cress Co 0845 643 1330

RASPBERRY JAM “A lovely set and a deep pink colour.

An absolute blast of raspberries hits the nose and then explodes on the tongue. Lots of seeds add texture and are perfectly distributed within the jam, which we find irresistible. We felt we could not have got any closer to the raspberries if we had rolled in the patch ourselves.”

A Great Taste Judge

CHILLI JAM “Vibrant, sticky chilli jam with aroma from both the peppers and chillis. The sweetness of roasted peppers matches the spicy warmth of chillis.

Well judged and well made.”

A Great Taste Judge

Proud to have been nominated for the Golden Fork from Scotland

FIND OUT MORE www

sarahgrays.co.uk

/sarahgrays.co.uk

@sarah_grays

http://thehappygutscompany.lu

Win Sales with our award-winning Chapman’s gourmet fishcakes and seafood products...

Using their Mum’s recipes Kevin and Paul Chapman continue to produce Traditional Fish Cakes and Fish Products using their mums principle of incorporating only the finest ingredients.

• • • • •

Handmade with fresh ingredients Attractive packaging Weekly Deliveries Low minimum order value No artificial colours or flavourings

Email: Email: sales@chapmansfishcakes.co.uk sales@chapmans-seafoods.co.uk Web: Web: www.chapmansfishcakes.co.uk www.chapmans-seafoods.co.uk Tel: 01472 269871 54

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

54

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

REGIONAL FOCUS NORTH OF ENGLAND SPECIAL

The only way is up

The North of England Infused with a bouquet of over ten botanicals, Yan Gin (RRP £35 for 70cl) from Herdwick Distillery is the latest addition to Lakeland Artisan’s portfolio. Fell Tonic (RRP £1.90 for 33cl) made from Cumbrian fell water, Cinchona bark, lemongrass and other natural botanicals is the perfect foil for this smallbatch London dry gin. lakelandartisan.co.uk

Benji’s Bites is a new range of toddler food that promises both nutrition and convenience. The meals are frozen in small cubes so they can be quickly microwaved. The 10-strong range includes ‘Mains’ such as Veggie Chilli and Mild Chicken & Veg Curry, and ‘Carbs’ such as Cauliflower & Mixed Rice and Mixed Grains. Each compostable pouch contains 12x30g cubes. RRP £6-9. benjisbites.co.uk

In time for Christmas, Carlisle-based Xocolate has launched its Medjoul Date Collection.

The dates are paired with six different handmade fillings and coated in Belgian chocolate.

Varieties include White Chocolate with Strawberry Ganache, Milk Chocolate with Salted Caramel Ganache, and Dark Chocolate Coffee Mousse.

RRP £8.49 for a box of six. xocolate.co.uk

The Fine Cheese Co. is carrying two new cheeses from Northern cheesemakers. Creamy, smooth Old Roan from The Home Farmer Dairy in Yorkshire is the only raw milk Wensleydale to come from Wensleydale. The other new addition, Lady Grey, is made in batches of only 16 cheeses by St James Cheese in Cumbria, with each one different from the last. finecheese.co.uk

Lost Barn Coffee has rolled out sustainable packaging options for its wholesale customers. Retailers, cafés and hospitality venues can now have their beans delivered in refillable airtight containers, which are swapped out when empty (for local customers) or refilled from compostable paper bags for those further afield. The Cheshire roastery has also created refillable metal tins for retail situations. lostbarncoffee.co.uk

Clotton Hall Dairy has expanded its range to take in Fresh Luxury Custard and Clotted Cream Rice Pudding. The Cheshire producer is pitching its range as the perfect dairy selection for any farm shop or food hall. Both have an RRP of £3.99 for 500ml and are produced on-site using milk from the farm’s free-range dairy herd. clottonhalldairy.co.uk

The Yorkshire Crisp Company has partnered with Sacchi Tartufi in Italy to develop a truffle seasoning for its potato crisps. Italian Summer Truffle crisps launched this summer in a 100g drum as the first flavour in the company’s new Gourmet Range. yorkshirecrisps.co.uk

Belle & Herbs is a new fermentary, specialising in smallbatch, handmade fermented foods – think pickled red onions, dill gherkins, pink pickled mouli, preserved lemons, kimchi and sauerkraut. Belle & Herbs was originally founded as a restaurant in 2003 by chef duo Sam Storey and Pan Phyu Phyu Hmwe. belleandherbs.farm

Tipped as the secret to making “amazing Southern fried chicken at home with no fuss”, Wingman is the latest seasoning to come out of Rub & Roll’s Cheshire kitchen.

RRP is £8.99; wholesale price £5.50 per unit. rubandroll.co.uk

Rather than concentrate on a single category, FFD has gone geographical this month.

In keeping with our issue’s theme, we’ve rounded up a host of new launches from the North of England. Whether it’s cheese, coffee or even rum, this bountiful region has buyers covered.

Compiled by Lynda Searby

56

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

>> Husband-and-wife team Kelvin and Kelly Linstead have launched The Yolker – a gourmet Scotch egg company based in Newcastle-uponTyne. The pair are using Gloucestershire Old Spot meat and Northumbrian free range eggs to produce eight varieties of scotch egg, including glutenfree and veggie varieties, named after movie titles.

RRP £3 each. contacttheyolker@ gmail.com

Cooper King claims to be the first distillery in England to produce carbon-negative gins, The Yorkshire producer’s Dry and Herb Gins are now classed as carbon-negative, which means that for every bottle of spirit created, more carbon is removed from the atmosphere than is emitted. The gins have an RRP of £39 for a 70cl bottle. cooperkingdistillery.co.uk

Loving Foods, a Manchester-based producer of fermented food and drink, has created what it believes is one of the first organic, fermented, unpasteurised hot sauces.

Organic red chillies, red peppers and sea salt are fermented for six months with the producer’s own kimchi juice, yielding a spicy, tangy, slightly sweet, hot sauce with no nasties.

RRP £5.95 for 150ml. lovingfoods.co.uk

Decorrum aims to fill a gap in the market for an elegant, feminine boutique rum. The ginger, cinnamon and clove spiced rum is made with honey from Manchester Printworks’ bees, and for every bottle sold Decorrum adopts a bee to help protect the local bee population, as well as donating £1 to Forever Manchester. RRP is £29.99 for 70cl. decorrum.co.uk

Responding to demand from consumers for a crisp and refreshing mixer from “God’s Own Country”, Yorkshire Tonic has introduced Paradise. Featuring natural extracts of quassia and Mediterranean botanicals including Sicilian lemon and rosemary, the tonic is named after a field in front of the distillery in Thixendale where it is made, which is known locally as Paradise. raisthorpemanor.com

Northumbrian Wildflower completes The Tea Enthusiasts’ regional tea trio. Covering Durham, Newcastle and Northumberland, the blends are a homage to the North East as well as the tea merchant’s northern roots.

Northumbrian Wildflower is a herbal blend of natural flowers, fruit, herbs and leaves, inspired by the rolling hills, sleepy valleys and coastal paths of ancient Northumberland. tea-enthusiasts.com

Rafi’s Spicebox has treated its retail curry boxes to a packaging revamp. There are eight curry packs in the range – Balti, Jalfrezi, Korma, Ma’s Paretal, Madras, Pasanda, Rogan Josh and Tikka Masala – providing the base ingredients for making authentic curries at home. RRP £5.70. spicebox.co.uk

East Yorkshire’s Side Oven Bakery has launched two fruit loaves in sustainable gift wrapping for the festive season. Both the Organic Fruit Loaf and Organic Spiced Sultana, Fig & Apple Fruit Loaf are handmade and have an RRP of £9 for 500g; trade price £6.50. sideoven.com

The more eagle-eyed retailers and buyers out there might have spotted some changes on packs of Artisan Biscuits.

The Ashbourne-based bakery has begun a comprehensive rebranding exercise, and is introducing its Miller’s name – which already appears on the popular Damsels range – as the umbrella brand spanning its line-up of sub-brands. The name already appears on the Mondovinoand Grate Britain ranges, with more packaging upgrades to follow over the coming months – as well as further design assets being introduced.

The change is being implemented to give Artisan Biscuits’s wide range of lines a more unified presence and will also allow parent company, The Fine Cheese Co., to register trademarks for its products in a number of export markets more easily. artisanbiscuits.co.uk

Following in the footsteps of other counties including Cheshire, Yorkshire and Lancashire, Cumbria now has its own brand of tea.

Launched in 2020 by Mark Cant and Duncan Bond, Cumbrian Tea’s Ramblers’ Brew is said to be “dedicated to the great Cumbrian people and visiting ramblers alike”.

The tea is ethically and sustainably sourced from Kenya and Malawi and uses unbleached biodegradable tea bag paper, biodegradable inner wrapper material and FSC-certified cardboard minimize environmental impact.

It is currently available in an 80-bag retail carton and a 1,120-bag catering pack. cumbrian-tea.co.uk

Coffee Care has launched its Three Peaks Blend in fully recyclable aluminium capsules.

The blend combines Arabica coffees from Kenya, Colombia, Costa Rica and Brazil to make an espresso that is enjoyable with or without milk. RRP £3.50 for a carton of 10 capsules. coffeecare.co.uk

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

57

The North of England Chocolate, confectionery and patisserie producer Eponine has expanded its drinking chocolate line-up with two new flavours. Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel join the existing Classic Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Gianduja flavours, offering a slightly sweeter drinking chocolate experience.

The Wirral producer has also repackaged its whole range to make it more eco-friendly. eponine.co.uk

The Russian Food Company has rebranded as Bakes of the World to reflect the extended variety of products it now offers. Georgia-inspired Triple Cheese Khachapuri, Russian Beef, Onion & Cabbage Piroshk, Spanishstyle Basque Chicken & Chorizo Tarta and North Africa-influenced Moroccan Veggie Bastilla are three of the savoury bakes available from the Sheffield firm. RRP £3.50-4.50. russianpies.com

>> Whittaker’s Distillery in North Yorkshire has crafted two new gins. Rather English Camomile Gin (RRP £36) is a London dry with a base of juniper, coriander and angelica root overlaid with camomile flowers for a bright, grassy gin with fragrant summer aromas.

Rampant Raspberry Gin (RRP £37.50) is a slightly sweetened compounded gin made by macerating raspberries in the distillery’s Original Gin. whittakersgin.com

Lakes Ice Cream has collaborated with fellow Lake District producer, the Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Company, to create a Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding ice cream. Lakes Ice Cream has signed a five-year exclusivity deal with Cartmel, giving it sole rights to produce authentic ice cream with the iconic sticky toffee pudding. lakesicecream.com

Sustainable approach to a classic Italian product

AB Gold Rum launched in December 2020 with the strapline ‘Jamaican rum, perfected in Yorkshire’.

The rum is a blend of traditional pot-stilled, oak-barrel aged Jamaican rums, which is then perfected using Yorkshire spring water to produce a spirit with rich caramel tones, mild influences of vanilla and accents of fruit.

RRP £39.95 for 70cl. ab-gold.com

Leek chocolatier Misco’s Chocolates has launched a five-strong hot chocolate range for wholesale. These include the company’s Classic blend, which mixes five different chocolates, the biscuity white-chocolate based Blonde blend, and three vegan varieties. RRP is £8.50 for a 300g bag. miscoschocolates.com 58

Butlers claims to have become the first speciality cheesemaker to make all of its packaging fully recyclable. This includes the Lancashire producer’s ‘This is Proper’ range, which takes in six farmhouse cheeses in 250g portions: three varieties of Lancashire, Double Gloucester, Red Leicester and Goats’ Cheese. butlerscheeses.co.uk

Mr Vikki’s is showing that it is more than a hot sauce producer with its latest introductions. The Cumbrian producer’s take on an Ecuadorian Aji Criollo is a refreshing, mild passion-fruity condiment, while Black Garlic Roast Habanero Relish is said to be ‘fiercely hot…with masses of umami’, and doubles up as a jerk paste for fish/meat or a chilli condiment. RRP £4.50. mrvikkis.co.uk

Libations claims to be Yorkshire’s most decorated rum brand, having won Gold at the World Rum Awards and Rum and Cachaca Masters 2021 for its Original Spiced Rum. The rum starts its journey in the Caribbean before being distilled and perfected in Yorkshire using heather, vanilla, cinnamon, clove and orange peel and North Yorkshire honey.

RRP £37 for 70cl. libationsrum.com

Kendal-based Penningtons has taken the view that great coffee shouldn’t cost the earth, launching its 250g hand roasted coffees in 100% recyclable packaging. The bag is no longer pre-printed to help reduce its carbon footprint. penningtonscoffee.co.uk

Disillusionment about the state of jarred sauces has prompted a group of Cheshire-based “foodie friends” to launch their own offering. Developed in collaboration with a Michelinstarred chef, the Jarrd range includes Tuscan Pomarola Sauce, Puttanesca, Murgh Makhani and South Indian Chettinad. jarrd.co.uk

Since taking over Northumbrian rapeseed oil brand Baste & Bray last year, new owner Karen Park has extended the line-up to include 500ml bottles and will soon launch 100ml bottles. The brand has also recently attained LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) status. basteandbray.co.uk

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

The Yorkshire Pasta Company says it has taken a sustainable approach to a classic product, using locally milled wheat flour and solar power to produce artisan pasta that is packaged in recyclable paper bags. The pasta is bronze drawn and slow dried to deliver a wholesome flavour and robust texture. There are five shapes – Fusilli, Penne Rigate, Conchiglie Rigate, Tortiglioni and Mezze Maniche Rigate – available in 500g format (RRP £3.50). yorkshirepasta.co.uk

Durham-based Whitehouse is the latest entrant to the kombucha space. Chef Liam Whitehouse is behind the venture, which currently offers three fermented drinks: Ginger Green Tea, Elderflower Earl Grey and IPA Style Beer.

RRP £2.50 per bottle. whitehousekombucha. co.uk

54

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

H

Apricot

b Sam al N aga

ot

H Ma

dr

HH

Ga

as

r lic

Pickle

D

i Chutne y hel

aH

abane ro

Banan

Old

tle po

amind Ch Tar i

CONTACT ADAM TODAY . WWW.MRVIKKIS.CO.UK OR 01768 210102

60

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

@fireflybbq

Get ready for Summer with our Award Winning Barbecue Rubs & Sauces:

fireflybbq.co.uk

The North of England

>> L’éclair Pâtisserie is a small French-inspired Leeds bakery that was set up during lockdown.

As well as supplying high-end cakes, tarts and patisserie to cafés and restaurants, the bakery has a packaged retail offering, which includes 6” family style cakes such as Lemon Drizzle, Classic Victoria Sponge, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Coffee & Walnut and Carrot, Orange & Walnut, with an RRP of £5. leclairpatisserie.com

In creating Tarsier, globetrotters Sherwin Acebuche and Tim Driver have created a gin brand that stands out in a crowded marketplace by taking inspiration from their travels in Southeast Asia. The new Backpacker Series continues this theme, with Khao San Gin, which harnesses the flavours of Thai cuisine, and Taipei Old Tom, which takes gin lovers on a taste journey through Taiwan’s tea plantations. tarsierspirit.com

Difficult to discern from dairy chocolates

Ghee Appétit has made ghee – the butter-like cooking fat used in Indian cuisine – accessible to home cooks with a range of ghee infusions in 300ml glass jars. It is an organic, grass-fed product that is slow cooked as per Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine doctrine, as well as triple-filtered to ensure that it is mostly free of lactose and casein. There are six different varieties – Turmeric, Roasted Garlic, Chilli, Cinnamon, Herbes De Provence and Morel Paté – with RRPs from £9.90 for 300ml. gheeappetit.co.uk After 30 years of making “dem bellies full” at festivals and carnivals as well as through the family takeaway in Manchester, Jamaican-born Buzzrock has bottled his magic in a range of Caribbean style marinades and spice blends. Jerk Marinade, Mild Jerk Marinade and Jerk BBQ have an RRP of £4.50 for 250ml; trade price £3.20. buzzrockcaribbean.co.uk

Tea-Pop has collaborated with Chester University to conceive an innovative ‘tea-on-a-stick’ product. TeaPops are natural extracts that are crystallised in novel shapes which dissolve fully in water. The crystals retain the goodness of the fruits, plant and herbs they are extracted from and are free from the dust, dirt and fertiliser commonly found in leaf tea, says the Cheshire producer.

Choose from herbal and fruit blends such as Lemon Ginger and Passionfruit Punch, or Classic blends like Earl Grey and English Breakfast. RRP £8.99 for a tube. myteapop.com

Neighbourhood Gin, made on the outskirts of Manchester, is now a double award-winner, after scooping silver in the IWSC awards and being named finalist in the Gin Guide awards this year. The distillery plans to launch a Rouge Edition later this year. RRP £32 for 50cl. neighbourhooddistillery. com

After launching the world’s first Hazelnut Rum in 2019, Lakes rum producer Belgrove is claiming another world first with the introduction of its Spiced Fig & Blackberry rum. The rich, fruity spirit is made by infusing single origin Demerara rum from Guyana with notes of fig, blackberry and cinnamon.

RRP is £39.99 for 70cl; trade price £24. belgroverum.com

Northumbrian Pantry’s latest introduction is a piccalilli made according to 18th century food writer Hannah Glasse’s original recipe. Alice Murray, founder of Northumbrian Pantry, is a descendent of Hannah and the launch of Paco Lilla marks 250 years since her passing. RRP £4.25 for a 186g jar. northumbrianpantry.com

Kakoa, Friars’ vegan chocolate label, is poised for expansion, following a six-figure investment in its production process to keep pace with demand after a busy 2020. Kakoa uses rice and almond milk to create chocolates that are said to be difficult to discern from normal dairy chocolates.

Sea Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter and Champagne truffles are among its best sellers.

They can be purchased in six, eight and 24-piece boxes. kakoa.co.uk

York Gin has unveiled a new Chocolate & Orange variety, inspired by Terry’s Chocolate Orange, which was invented in York in 1932. Orange and chocolate have been added to its classic bouquet of nine botanicals to create this festive unsweetened dry gin. yorkgin.com

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

61

SAVE THE DATE The home of fine food & drink discovery will return for another bustling edition on 5-6 September 2022!

Get inspired by a host of new features, brand-new start-up producers with the most innovative products on the market, and catch-up with the exciting developments from the speciality food & drink industry in 2022.

To register your interest and to find out about the Fair visit:

SPECIALITYANDFINEFOODFAIRS.CO.UK CC21-167_MontgomeryGroup_SFFFAdvertCollateral_GuildofFineFood_315x230_08-21.indd 1

06/08/2021 17:15

60

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

60

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

SHELF TALK Preserves producer experiments with barrel-ageing festive chutney

By Tom Dale

a stronger boozy flavour from the beer and wine which the barrel previously held.”

Founder and director of Ginger Beard’s Preserves Harry Calvert said that this was the first time he had barrel aged chutney, and believes it to be the first product of its kind in the UK. “It’s been a dream of mine since we first started making this chutney in 2015,” he said.

“We have always been involved with the local beer scene, so it feels like a natural step forward.”

He said that after initial tasting, the product had already begun taking on flavour from the barrel. “There are hints of oak and red wine, as well as a proper boozy tone from the beer the barrel previously held.”

It seems Calvert has caught the barrelageing bug as he now plans to make this an annual tradition, as well as barrel-ageing a wholegrain beer mustard in an old imperial stout barrel and a fermented hot sauce in a former sour beer cask.

“It’s slow food, but we reckon that, going on the samples from the current chutney, the flavour is going to be bonkers and it will be well worth the wait,” he said.

The barrel-aged Christmas chutney is available to pre-order now, as is Ginger Beard’s usual Fig & Sour Cherry Christmas Chutney, and will be ready to ship on 12th November. The barrel-aged chutney will cost £3.29 per 284g pot wholesale and is available in cases of six. Calvert reports that around 30% of the expected 800 jars have already been sold. gingerbeardspreserves.co.uk

Bristol-based Ginger Beard’s Preserves has been using barrel-aged beer in its Christmas chutney since it first launched the product in 2015, but now the producer is taking things a step further.

The award-winning brand is barrel ageing 240g of its Fig & Sour Cherry Christmas Chutney in beer barrels from brewery Wiper and True which also provided the beer that went into making the festive chutney.

The preserve is now being aged for between two and four months, and the producer said it “expects the chutney to take on a range of complex flavours from the oak barrel as well as

Seasoned Pioneers has refreshed its gift box range with new packaging and branding. The collection of 19 lines includes the new Summer BBQ, Worldwide Salt and Herbal Foot-spa variants. RRPs from £11.95 to £26.95. seasonedpioneers.com Ready-to-bake cookie dough brand Doughlicious has rebranded its Lite Bites range, creating Snackable Cookie Dough in six flavours, including new Chocolate Peppermint. The refreshed range is organic, gluten free and vegan. Pitched as a healthier sweet treat, they come in 56g resealable bags. doughlicious.co.uk Claiming to be the first-to-market alcoholic kombucha is Boozy Boocha. The vodkainfused probiotic drink is aimed at a new type of consumer: “the healthy hedonist”. The 4% ABV drink comes in two flavours – Cheeky Pineapple and Berry Mischievous. boozyboocha.co.uk

Counter points Bread Paley Photography

A new English sparkling wine – Boco by House Coren – is unlike other British bubblies on the market as it is made using the Charmat method. Also known as the Italian method, it is distinguished from Champagnestyle wines as the final fizzinducing fermentation does not happen in-bottle.

House Coren wanted to release a Charmat method wine as it believes the style showcases the “bright, fruity freshness” found in English grapes. It also offers a more affordable alternative to the traditional method sparkling wines already on the market.

The name for the wine was inspired by Old Sussex regional dialect, ‘boco’ derived from the French ‘beaucoup’ meaning ‘lots of/more.’ housecoren.co.uk

WHAT’S NEW

Food writer and former deli owner Glynn Christian offers up some category-specific conversation starters to sharpen your sales technique.

• Bread made without a raising agent – unleavened – is one of our oldest foods.

• To leaven means to aerate dough or batter with yeast or a chemical, like baking soda.

• White bread is not ‘bad for you’ in a varied diet.

• Never cut a roll, English muffin, croissant or scones, but pull apart.

• Most grains contain no gluten and must be mixed with wheat flour to make a yeasted bread.

• Soda breads can be made with soft, low-gluten or gluten-free flours, and use baking soda and an acidic

Bread made without a raising agent – unleavened – is one of our oldest foods

liquid, which works from the moment they are mixed.

Baking powder works with sweet/non-acidic liquids and does not work until in the heat of an oven.

• Do not add salt or sugar directly to fresh yeast as these inhibit it.

This is an extract from Glynn Christian’s book Taste! How to Choose the Best Deli Ingredients, published by Grub Street

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

65

RETAIL CHEESE TRAINING LEARN HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL COUNTER On our one-day course you will…

• Discover how to taste and identify different cheeses • Gain confidence in knowing what to stock • Improve product knowledge leading to more selling opportunities • Find out how to educate and build rapport with customers • Master the art of what makes a good cheese board • Learn how to cut, wrap and store cheese • Acquire practical skills to increase cheese sales

+44 (0)1747 825200 @guildoffinefood 66

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

N M on em -m b e e Pl m rs £ us be 1 VA rs 50 T £1 95

BOOKING NOW IN 2021 LONDON: SEPTEMBER 28 HARROGATE, YORKSHIRE: OCTOBER 19 GFF.CO.UK/TRAINING

La Bandiera Extra-Virgin Olive Oil What makes it so delicious?

Dipping into La Bandiera extra virgin, organic olive oil is one of life’s great pleasures. The golden colour of the oil is reminiscent of Tuscany and the summer light. The flavour is fruity, robust, well rounded and delicious with all dishes. For further information, please visit our website www.labandieraoliveoil.com or contact info@labandieraoliveoil.com

SHELF TALK My magic ingredient

WHAT’S NEW

Candi’s Chutney Parsnip & Chilli Chutney MARK KACARY Managing director, The Norfolk Deli We live and work in an amazing county where in the last decade there has been an explosion of artisan food production. 70% of everything in our shop is sourced locally in Norfolk.

One of our favourite products is Candice Robertson’s Candi’s Chutney.

Having worked in catering for many years, Candice used her training and skills to create a range of original chutneys. And our personal pick is her Parsnip & Chilli chutney.

As with most chutneys, the temptation is to use these as an accompaniment to cheese or charcuterie, but we use it in cooking too. It is an excellent addition to the ingredients of a slightly more savoury flapjack. This is more than a typical ploughman’s or Branston, this is a chutney that offers something different.

This is more than a typical ploughman’s or Branston, this is a chutney that offers something different

Mark gets his direct from Candi’s Chutney at candiscupboard.com

New sauce producer hopes to bring the flavours of Sri Lanka to the UK A former refugee of the Sri Lankan civil war has created a range of curry pastes and sauces to reconnect with her homeland, and hopes to bring the lesser-known cuisine to the UK. Komathy Cumarasamy Hawkins left the South Asian island nation in 1985 and moved to Germany before permanently settling in the UK. Since then, recreating the dishes prepared by her mother and aunts has given her a way to maintain a connection with her home nation.

Following a return to Sri Lanka – learning more about the native cuisine – and consulting with chefs from there and Britain, Cumarasamy Hawkins has developed a range of recipes offering refined, authentic flavours from her homeland.

She said: “The Sri Lankan food experience is underrepresented in the UK. The recipes are generally low in cholesterol, have recognised health benefits and are veganfriendly, which makes them perfect for today’s consumer.

“For me, independent

retailers are key to bringing this message to the widest audience possible as they have more discerning customers who are a receptive market for my range.”

She is now working with farms that employ war widows, the Palmyrah Institute to bring business to the under-developed North, as well as working with more established cashew nut producers, vanilla growers and cinnamon farmers, in a bid to ensure her home country benefits from any success her business receives, although this has been complicated by COVID. The Komathy’s Kitchen range comprises eight products – Hot, Medium and Mild Curry Pastes, Carrot Sauce with Cumin and Chilli, Beetroot Sauce with Tamarind & Chilli, Chilli Sauce, and the newly released Spicy Beetroot & Chilli Marinade and Rasam Paste, all have an RRP of £5 per jar (£3.40, trade).

The founder is currently working on a range of Sri Lankan spices, recipe kits combining these spices and curry pastes, as well as a selection of spiced teas. komathyskitchen.co.uk

Premium crispbread brand Peter’s Yard has launched two new lines – Rosemary & Sea Salt Sourdough Crackers and Poppy Seed Sourdough Crackers (RRP £2.95). Both are certified vegan. The lines will be available in smaller cases of eight to allow retailers to trial the products. petersyard.com Launching for Christmas is Ahmad Tea’s luxury collection in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Beyond the Leaf.

The range contains four blends – Majestic Breakfast, Splendid Ceylon, Garden Afternoon and Elegant Earl Grey. RRP £7.99 for a 100g loose leaf caddy or £11.99 for a 4x10 teabag selection caddy. ahmadtea.com South Wales brewery Tiny Rebel has collaborated with So Let’s Talk – a mental and physical health charity with a focus on the hospitality sector – to create two new low-andno beers. 86 The Silence is a 2.5% pomegranate raddler and Speakeasy is a 0.5% hazy pale ale.

Both come with an RRP of £2.30. tinyrebel.co.uk

Premium low-sugar tonic brand Twelve Below has launched a range of soft drinks aimed at consumers wanting to make healthier choices. Lime & Basil and Elderflower & Lemon are sweetened with agave syrup and both flavours contain only 12 calories or 2.4g of natural sugar per 100ml.

The producer has said that the new releases are suitable for use as a mixer in alcoholic or lowand-no drinks, or as a standalone beverage. The two new lines join Twelve Below’s range of four premium lowsugar tonics and cost £18 for a case of 12x330ml bottles. twelvebelow.co.uk Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

67

SHELF TALK WHAT’S NEW

MEET THE PRODUCER

The Secret Garden Distillery has given its Christmas Gin and gifting sets a refreshed look for this year’s festive season.

The limited edition gin features a red tinted bottle and distinctive label made from 30% grass and is available now in 50cl (RRP £36.95), 20cl (£16.95) and seasonal 2x20cl gift packs (£29.95). secretgardendistillery.co.uk

What were you doing before you launched The Proper Marmalade Company?

I’ve had a winding career path, from antique dealer to lawyer to cook. Immediately prior to The Proper Marmalade Company, I had a small preserve business called Cranfields Foods, the Proper Marmalade Company morphed out of that.

Isle of Wight-based Mermaid Gin has launched its first readyto-drink can – a blend of its award-winning gin paired with Indian light tonic. The drink comes in a printed, plastic-free, recyclable 250ml can, and has a 6% ABV and £2.90 RRP. isleofwightdistillery.com

Why did you decide to launch the brand?

The nutritional labelling requirement was coming into law and all the labels needed re-thinking. My daughter had long been a critic of my branding and as marmalade was our growth area it was a good time to experiment and see if she could come up with better. We came up with the concept; she ran with it and designed the brand. Sales went up four-fold almost overnight. Everything else dropped by the wayside so we could keep up with demand.

Cumbrian preserves maker Hawkshead Relish has turned up the heat on its range with the addition of Scotch Bonnet Sauce. The new line is made with fresh scotch bonnet peppers and tomatoes and has an RRP of £3.25 per 270g jar. hawksheadrelish.com

What is the biggest lesson you have learned since starting the business?

Other than the fact that daughters can be more perceptive than mothers, you need to listen to your customers. Some of my best ideas for flavours have come from them.

Vie’s Jamaican Rum Cakes has launched three new cakes to celebrate Cumbria’s rum heritage. Demerara, Delish and Decadent are made using Belgrove Rum (Cartmel Spirit Company), Richardsons Whitehaven Spiced Rum, and Jefferson’s 1785 Extra Fine Dark Rum respectively. All three are Cumbrian brands.

The cakes have RRPs of £13-£15 per 600g cake (also sold in 100g slices). viesjamaicanrumcakes.co.uk

Victoria Cranfield is the founder and managing director of THE PROPER MARMALADE COMPANY – a small artisan producer specialising in traditional and non traditional marmalade which has picked up a raft of Great Taste awards over the years

I can taste the difference when cooking from fresh and want to be proud of what we produce

…and the worst?

Paperwork and logistics when you have to rely on others, and having no-one to blame other than yourself when things go wrong.

What’s next for The Proper Marmalade Company?

I’m not sure, the pandemic has changed my thinking but I haven’t crystallised a plan as yet. Thankfully we have a busy cooking period up to Christmas. I’m sure a plan will Freshly by Ground Sponsor advert 2016 print ready.pdf have formed then.

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

Why is it important to you to use traditional methods in the production of your preserves?

I want the marmalades to be as close to the fruit as possible, recognised and enjoyed by people who have made their own. The fruit has a greater liveliness when cooked from fresh; I can taste the difference and want to be proud of what we produce.

What is the best thing about being a small business?

You can manage your time, make decisions without committee, and move quickly.

What makes your preserves stand out from others on the market?

We only buy fresh fruit and make the marmalades properly. We prep the fruit and then we make the marmalade just as I used to at home. In saucepans you can be making 22 jars a time, only now we have six saucepans on the go in rotation.

C

68

You have an expansive range with some interesting combinations – what inspires these creations?

I have always been a curious cook with a good taste memory. I’m fascinated by taste combinations. We make marmalades for other brands (provided the Proper Marmalade Company gets an attribution on the label), they will ask for specific flavours – that sends me down a rabbit hole of experimentation, which I love.

1

16/08/2016

10:37

Axicon were, we have to say, amazing. They delivered our labels on time and perfectly printed and took our last minute phone calls in their stride.

They understood the importance of the perfect label and gave us the product that (hopefully!) stands out from the crowd!

Axicon Labels Tel: 01869 350442 Email: labels@axicon.com Web: www.axiconlabels.co.uk

So What Keeps Us At Khanya Craft Award-Winning Coffee Up At Night?

Silly Question.

Khanya Craft Coffee is borne out of an obsession to find the best, ethically sourced single estate Arabica beans and the best blends on the planet. Which is why our coffees have won so many awards.

Sourcing, service and innovation for our clients is what makes us tick – like our great coffee.

Call Bernard on+353 (0) 086 388 3001 | e: bernard@khanyacraftcoffee.com | www.khanyacraftcoffee.com Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

69

DELI OF THE MONTH NORTH OF ENGLAND SPECIAL

When Marjorie and John Park launched a pick-your-own operation on their farm, branching out into retail was not on their minds. Now, thirty years on and under the guidance of their daughter Alison, the business may be largely unrecognisable, but it still retains the same principles: local food with low miles.

Interview by Tom Dale

Field to fork THE SUMMER TOURIST season is palpably underway when FFD visits Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop at the foot of the Lake District National Park. Holidaymakers pack the farm shop’s courtyard sipping cups of take-away tea, licking ice creams, and gathering to watch the daily milking of the cows that produce the same milk that graces the frozen treats and hot drinks the punters are enjoying.

This hyper-local approach – bringing the connection between farm and food to the fore – is something characteristic of the Cumbrian farm shop, and director Alison Park’s approach to farm and food retail.

Low Sizergh Barn – nestled in the heart

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: Low Sizergh Barn Farm, Sizergh, Kendal, LA8 8AE Number of lines: 2000 Sales split (retail/café): 65%/35% Café covers (including outdoor seating): 110 Average volume of raw milk sold per day: 50 litres 70

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

of the farm which shares its name – owes its origins to Park’s enterprising parents who, she says, rarely failed to capitalise on an opportunity.

After launching pick-your-own strawberries in response to 1980s restrictions on milk production – taking advantage of the farm’s fortuitous position just off the main arterial road into the south Lakes (A591) – John and Marjorie Park found that many of their customers were asking for refreshments and a toilet, and in 1991 Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop was established in response.

Housed in a characterful converted 17th-century barn, the shop still owes a

lot to the passing trade that provided the impetus to launch the retail arm of the operation.

“When we first started, my mum and dad had it in mind that we’d be a seasonal business and it would be about tourists coming to the Lake District,” she says.

But over the years, the season has been extended by loyal locals, visitors to the Farm Trail, and a new younger, more healthconscious customer that has been drawn in by Low Sizergh Barn’s vending machine selling its award-winning raw milk.

Currently, though, the tourist trade is roaring – exacerbated by the pingdemicinduced closure of the nearby Sizergh

MUST-STOCKS

Castle’s National Trust café – and Park is taking full advantage.

The operation’s new campsite is packed out with staycationers. “With impeccable timing, we opened it in April last year,” she says. “So that was a bit of a baptism of fire, but it’s worked out alright.”

Inside the shop, the locally focused gifting offer – usually confined to the mezzanine floor – has been ramped up and integrated with the food retail space in a bid to entice the passing customers with Cumbrian curiosities, clothing, and cards.

However, there are exceptions to the ‘local’ rule. The shop holds a range of knitwear from Nepal by Pachamama, but its ethical and Fairtrade credentials are sufficiently strong for Park to stock the brand.

Her approach to sourcing isn’t as hard and fast as it may seem from the largely regionally sourced range on display at Low Sizergh Barn. “The local, organic and ethical boxes are not absolute must-ticks.

For example, I wanted to stock a load of Kilner products so people could have a go at making their own yoghurt and preserves, but Rayware is a big international brand.

However, the product did what I wanted it to do.

“It’s a personal choice and I make compromises, but each one is thought out,” she says. “Every item is curated. There’s a process of rationalisation with everything we stock.”

The farm itself is organic, too, making the final three in the inaugural Best of Organic Farms category at this year’s Soil Association BOOM Awards, and

some of the fresh produce on sale is grown organically on-site through social enterprise Growing Well.

The milk that fills the raw milk vending machine, goes into the ice cream sold on site and into three exclusive cheeses – Kendal Creamy, Kendal Crumbly and Kendal Crumbly with Red Onion – is also from the farm’s herd of dairy cows which can be seen grazing and in the milking parlour daily.

But local is more of a hook than organic – and this shows throughout the shop.

Rabbit, pheasant and duck are sourced from a gamekeeper in nearby Cartmel, fish is delivered every Friday from Morecambe Bay, preserves are supplied by a range of local makers, and porridge oats are milled at a Cumbrian water mill in the north of the county. All have identifiable local supply chains, often sourced from within a 40-mile radius. Even the tea served in the café is a bespoke blend created by a local loose-leaf guru from Hazelmere Tea House in Grangeover-Sands.

“There is some desire among the multiples to do what we do – closely identify product with farm – which is often complete fakery,” says Park. “What you see is what you get here and there’s no doubt where it’s come from. That’s a very strong marketable feature for us.”

But it isn’t something that Park does simply for the brand image value. “It’s something we’re absolutely passionate about.”

Kendal Creamy cheese Cumberland Farmhouse (Thornby Moor) Cartmel Village Shop Sticky Toffee Pudding Side Oven Bakery organic flour Lakeland Brewhouse Damson Beer Kin Vodka Toffee + Vodka Hawkshead Relish Westmorland Chutney Hodmedod canned pulses Herb Fed Poultry free range chicken Higginson's of Grange Cumberland sausage Organic vegetables grown on site Low Sizergh Barn pies Low Sizergh Barn frozen ready meals

CONTINUED ON PAGE 73

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

71

Our award-winning drinks are made from gently pressed organic and wild ingredients.

We never use artificial sweeteners, additives or concentrates.

We simply blend naturally ripe organic fruit with Dartmoor spring water, drawn from a source on the farm where we make our drinks.

Luscombe. A simple, more fruitful philosophy.

By appointment to HRH Prince of Wales Soft Drinks Producer Luscombe Drinks Devon, England

Follow us to find out more about our story. @luscombedrinks | www.luscombe.co.uk

      

www.valelabels.co.uk 72

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

full colour digital print complete in-house solution special shapes & label sets variable data printing hot foiling & embossing spot varnishing 5 day production process

Our ISO 9001 accreditation is a result of the passion invested into Vale Labels, providing a high standard of efficiency and skill in all areas of the business, resulting in a first class service for you, the customer.

DELI OF THE MONTH Nurturing the connection between grower, producer and consumer is a topic that comes up frequently at Low Sizergh Barn. Making a spectacle of the milking parlour, creating a Farm Trail to give visitors an insight into the workings of the farm – passing its cows, vegetable plots, and orchards – and knowing the stories of the local lines on the shelves all help to foster that link.

Communicating these stories is difficult, though, with produce like the shop’s meat offer. All of the lines have great stories, she tells FFD, but without a butcher’s counter, the operation struggles to communicate these with the more transient customers that make up the bulk of the summer trade.

“That’s not something we’ve been very successful at. We have to weigh it up. It might be important to showcase for the area, but we still need to be able to make a margin and make a living.”

Some of the stock in the wooden

fruit and vegetable crates will need no introduction to a minority of the clientele, though. Through Low Sizergh Barn’s Crop for the Shop scheme, green-fingered customers who have a glut of home-grown veg can exchange their crops for a gift card, which can then be redeemed in the farm shop or café.

That said, you can’t control what the customer wants, says Park. Over the years the foodservice and food-to-go trade has grown faster than the “slow food” ingredients on the shelves. “Often, people are not coming here to shop, they’re coming here for that experience, leisure time and a treat. That’s okay, but I do like to push the fact that we’re a farm and we’re about food.”

You can do that in different ways though, she says. For example, the ice cream served in the café is made with the farm’s raw milk by a producer based in nearby Windermere. “We can be in the treat market too – it doesn’t all have to be about milk,

cream and butter.”

For Park, fostering these connections isn’t all about the customer. “My dad always says and stresses the importance of this interdependent network,” she says.

The small producers need retailers like Park to be a shop window, and Park needs them to keep her shelves stocked with the right produce. And it isn’t just the producer that rural independent retail is helping sustain, it’s the secondary industries and producers in the supply chain, too.

“I am always flying the flag for the farmer-producer-makers, there is an honesty and integrity to that which is vital to support.

“Our community and our culture and traditions are important,” she adds.

“We have to have that money floating around in the local economy – it’s no good if it goes off abroad to some hedge fund owner.” lowsizerghbarn.co.uk

Every item is curated. There’s a process of rationalisation with everything we stock

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

73

Recyclable packaging for your future

NEW SQUARE TPS-093 RANGE • 100% PP – 100% Recyclable • Food Grade & Multifunctional • Front facing guaranteed • Space saving on the shelf • Leakproof An ideal packaging solution with all the trusted quality features. Leakproof, food safe, multifunctional and reusable.

Reliable service and lead times – sensible minimum order size.

Visit www.innavisions.com or call us for a brochure TEL: 01886 832283

EMAIL: nick.wild@innavisions.com

JOY ON A PLATE For generations now, our family has been making a real commitment to taste and excellence, hoping to help you add a bit of magic to every mealtime.

Both our Heritage Cure Ham & our Traditional Ham on the Bone also won 2020 3 star Great Taste awards!

www.jameswhelanbutchers.com | info@jameswhelanbutchers.com 74

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

09858 Maple Fine food digest advert_DR2.indd 2

21/04/2021 11:49

GUILD TALK

View from HQ

By John Farrand managing director

HERE’S A NOVEL thing: I’m sat on a plane writing this piece. Hard to believe, I know, and therefore this is most definitely a landmark day. And not just because I am 33,000 feet in the air for the first time in two years. The fact that I had to hot foot it from a bustling Olympia to catch my flight is cause for celebration..

It’s good news that the first trade show since March 2019 was well-attended and buoyant. It was

news from the guild of fine food great to be back at the Fair with thousands of food & drink people and products. Sampling, debating, selling, tasting, educating. All the elements were there and despite some shared anxiety, it all aligned.

There was, of course, plenty of protocol to get into the show and to get on this flight. But we’re used to this now, right? We’re having to run our businesses under the heavy hand of legislation, rules and most definitely, at a distance.

Rest assured, the traffic speed in London seems to be back to its lethargic worst. The bus to Heathrow was tiresome with – despite the driver shortage – an inordinate number of lorries blocking Hammersmith Road.

And the lack of truckers was a major discussion point at the show.

Are the complex, just-in-time logistics of the multiples in danger of completely unravelling this Christmas? Another opportunity for independents. Our shorter, local and ‘less sophisticated’ supply chains should hold up, meaning our shelves will be stocked for the biggest six

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS

MPS HAVE RETURNED to Westminster this week and faced the Government’s decision to break a manifesto commitment by increasing National Insurance contributions and dividend payments, dubbed the ‘health and social care levy’. The Government has been attacked on all sides for the creation of the levy.

Labour has accused the Conservatives of taxing younger and low-paid workers, their own backbenchers have a natural aversion to tax rises, especially when they break manifesto commitments, and industry criticized them for increasing the cost of employment when the economy will still be fragile.

For food retailers, the NICs

increase represents another hike in employment costs that will deter people from taking on more staff. This will be compounded by inevitable increases in the National Living Wage that will be announced in October. With the labour market tightening across the country, this could put a jobs-led recovery at risk. Government needs to think carefully how it can continue to support businesses to deliver the high quality secure jobs people want. If not, it will be a race to bottom with increasing growth in the insecure ‘gig economy’.

This is just one of the many difficult decisions that will face the Government for the rest of the year.

They have party conference season, the Budget & Spending Review and COP26. The dynamics between the Government and its backbenchers will be interesting to watch. Any anger thus far hasn’t translated into rebel voters. But the Prime

news from the guild of fine food

Are there too many supermarkets, rather than not enough lorry drivers?

Register for Fine Food Show North The Guild is currently gearing up for its annual Yorkshirebased trade show, Fine Food Show North.

It will have been 19 months since 2020’s event when the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate opens its doors on Sunday 17th and Monday 18th October, and everyone at the Guild is looking forward to welcoming back exhibitors and visitors to the show.

There are still a few stands available for would-be exhibitors, and any interested parties should contact opportunities@gff.co.uk to register their interest.

Additionally, anyone wishing to come to the show as a visitor must register online for their free ticket at: gff.co.uk/ffsn

weeks of the year. Granted, we may be missing some firm favourites this December as the bureaucracy and border controls continue to disrupt our Continental cheese and charcuterie imports but this chaos could yet play into our favour.

All the talk across the media is, yet again, of empty shelves in the retail giants. We may well need more Eddie Stobart drivers but for me, the question we should be asking in the year of COP26 is this: Are there too many supermarkets and discounters to deliver to, rather than not enough lorry drivers?

What’s your view?

Email john.farrand@gff.co.uk

Minister’s 80-seat majority is not as solid as he would like and he will have to tread carefully.

Alongside the NICs increase, there are multiple challenges facing retailers, not least those supply chain issues and empty shelves.

The focus will move to the Budget and what Rishi Sunak decides to do to promote growth and confidence in the UK economy.

At the last Budget, Sunak unveiled the ‘super deduction’ policy allowing businesses to offset investments. Similar action is needed in this Budget to stimulate investment.

Business rates is one area where the Chancellor could go further but he also needs to incentivize investment.

We would value your insights on what the Chancellor should do to, so please get in touch via email.

Entries open for World Cheese Awards 2020-21 The World Cheese Awards – set to be hosted in Oviedo, Northern Spain on 3rd-6th November – is open for entries to cheeses from around the globe.

Entries close on 23rd September, however, there is a limited number of entry spaces available so The Guild strongly advises cheesemakers to enter as soon as possible to avoid missing out – entry will close early if the entry cap is reached prior to the closing date.

To enter, visit gff.co.uk/wca and click ‘Enter now’.

Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

The Guild of Fine Food represents fine food shops and specialist suppliers. Want to join them?

GENERAL ENQUIRIES Guild of Fine Food Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk gff.co.uk

THE GUILD TEAM: Managing director: John Farrand Marketing director: Tortie Farrand Sales director: Sally Coley Operations director: Christabel Cairns

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executives: Becky Haskett Sam Coleman Membership, circulation & awards manager: Karen Price Operations manager: Claire Powell

Operations assistant: Meredith White Events manager: Stephanie HareWinton Marketing & events assistant: Sophie Brentnall Financial controller: Stephen Guppy

gff.co.uk Accounts assistant: Julie Coates Chairman: Bob Farrand Director: Linda Farrand

Vol.22 Issue 8 | September-October 2021

75

74

September-October 2021 | Vol.22 Issue 8

@snowdoniacheese